by Théophile de Viau (1590 - 1626)
Translation © by Peter Low

À Chloris
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG ENG GER ITA SPA SPA
S'il est vrai, Chloris, que tu m'aimes,
Mais j'entends, que tu m'aimes bien,
Je ne crois point que les rois mêmes
Aient un bonheur pareil au mien.

Que la mort serait importune
De venir changer ma fortune
A la félicité des cieux!

Tout ce qu'on dit de l'ambroisie
Ne touche point ma fantaisie
Au prix des grâces de tes yeux.

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 or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "To Chloris", copyright © 2013
  • ENG English [singable] (Peter Low) , "A Chloris", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Elaine Marie Ortiz-Arandes) , "An Chloris", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Elisa Rapado) , "A Chloris", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (José Miguel Llata) , "A Chloris", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Ted Perry

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 10
Word count: 60

A Chloris
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
If it's true that you do love me
(and I'm told that your love is real),
then I believe no kings or princes
did ever know the elation I feel.

I'd be pained if death were to come now
and change my present fortune
for heaven's bliss beyond the skies.

Some may desire divine ambrosia ‑
it does not fire my human mind
as do the joys I read in your eyes.

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2015 by Peter Low, (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.
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Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2015-10-26
Line count: 10
Word count: 72