by
Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)
Que n'ay‑je, Dame, en escrivant la grace
Language: French (Français)
Que n'ay-je, Dame, [en escrivant]1 la grace
Divine autant que j'ay la volonté!
Par mes escrits tu serois surmonté,
Vieil enchanteur des vieux rochers de Thrace.
Plus haut encor que Pindare et qu'Horace,
J'appenderois à ta divinité
Un livre enflé de telle gravité,
Que du Bellay luy quitteroit la place.
Si vive encor Laure par l'Univers
Ne fuit volant dessus les Thusques vers,
Que nostre siecle heureusement estime,
Comme ton nom, honneur des vers François,
[Victorieux des peuples et des Roys]2
S'en-voleroit sus l'aisle de ma ryme.
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• G. Boni About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Boni: "et la plume et"
2 Boni: "(Jusques au ciel eslevé par ma voix)"
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , title unknown, copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: David Wyatt
This text was added to the website: 2015-03-01
Line count: 14
Word count: 87
Why have I not, my Lady, as I write, the...
Language: English after the French (Français)
Why have I not, my Lady, [as I write,]1 the divine
Favour that matches my eagerness!
You would be overcome by my writing,
Ancient enchanter2 of the ancient rocks of Thrace!
Higher still than Pindar and Horace,
I would add to your divinity in
A book puffed up with such gravity
That du Bellay would make way for it!
Laura does not fly so fleetly through
The world within those Tuscan verses3
Which our age happily esteems,
As your name, the honour of French verse,
[Victorious over peoples and kings,]4
Would fly on the the wings of my poetry.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Boni: "the pen and"
2 i.e., Orpheus
3 i.e., of Petrarch
4 Boni: "Raised to heaven by my voice"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2015 by David Wyatt, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2015-03-01
Line count: 14
Word count: 99