Alas, I am forced | Alas, I am forced as I burn to be quiet

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by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)

Translation © by David Wyatt

Las ! force m'est qu'en bruslant je me...

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Las ! force m'est qu'en bruslant je me taise, 
Car d'autant plus qu'esteindre je me veux, 
Plus le desir me r'allume les feux 
Qui languissoient [sous]¹ la morte braise. 

Si suis-je heureux (et cela me r'appaise) 
De plus souffrir que souffrir je ne peux, 
Et d'endurer le mal dont je me deulx ; 
Je me deulx, non, mais dont je suis bien aise. 

Par ce doux mal j'adoroy la beauté 
Qui, me liant d'une humble cruauté, 
Me desnoua les liens d'ignorance. 

Par luy me vint ce vertueux penser
Qui jusqu'au ciel fit mon cœur elancer,
Ailé de foy, d'amour et d'esperance.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• A. Utendal

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Utendal: "dessous"

Text Authorship:

by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), no title, Amours 1 – 179 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Alexander Utendal (1543?5 - 1581), "Las ! force m'est" [bass and lute] [
text verified 1 time
]

Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (David Wyatt) , title 1: "Alas, I am forced", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: David Wyatt

This text was added to the website: 2015-08-07
Line count: 14
Word count: 99

Alas, I am forced

Language: English after the French (Français)

Alas, I am forced as I burn to be quiet
For as much as I want to extinguish it
So much more desire re-lights those fires
Which lie beneath the dying flame.

So happy am I (and that soothes me)
To suffer more than I can suffer
And to endure the pain which grieves me;
Grieves? No: which pleases me.

Through this sweet pain I adore the beauty
Who, binding me with meek cruelty,
Looses me from the bonds of ignorance.

Through her comes to me that powerful thought
Which makes my heart leap to heaven,
Winged with faith, love and hope.

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:

a text in French (Français) by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), no title, Amours 1 – 179
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2015-08-07
Line count: 14
Word count: 102