Lullaby | Come to me when you sing, friend, I have secrets

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by Rémy de Gourmont (1858 - 1915)

Translation © by Laura Prichard

Berceuse

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Viens vers moi quand tu chantes, amie, j'ai des secrets 
Que tu liras toi-même au reflet de mes yeux. 
Viens, entoure mon cou de tes bras, viens tous près 
Et ton coeur entendra des mots silencieux. 

Viens vers moi quand tu rêves, amie, j'ai des paroles 
Dont le murmure seul est comme une douceur. 
Elles imposent l'oubli, le doute, elles désolent, 
Et pourtant leur musique enchante la douceur. 

Viens vers moi quand tu ris, amie, j'ai des regards 
Très longs qui vont porter la peur au fond de l'âme. 
Viens, ils transperceront ton coeur de part en part 
Et tu sentiras naître en toi une autre femme. 

Viens vers moi quand tu pleures, amie, j'ai des caresses 
Qui captent les sanglots amers au bord des lèvres 
Et feront de ton amertume une allégresse: 
Amie, viens boire une âme nouvelle sur mes lèvres.

Text Authorship:

by Rémy de Gourmont (1858 - 1915), "Berceuse", appears in Divertissements, in 6. Le vieux coffret, no. 2, Paris, Éd. G. Crès, first published 1912 [author's text not yet checked 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 André Caplet (1879 - 1925), "Berceuse", 1917, published 1918 [medium voice and piano], from Le vieux coffret, no. 2, Éd. Durand [ sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Lullaby", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 142

Lullaby

Language: English after the French (Français)

Come to me when you sing, friend, I have secrets
That you will recognize in the reflection of my eyes. 
Come, wrap your arms around my neck, draw near 
And your heart will hear silent words. 

Come to me when you dream, friend, I possess words
Whose only murmur is like honey. 
They impose forgetfulness, doubt, they afflict, 
And still their music enchants the ache. 

Come to me when you laugh, friend, I have long looks 
that will conjure fear in the depths of your soul. 
Come, they’ll pierce your heart through and through 
And you will feel another woman rise up in you. 

Come to me when you cry, friend, I have caresses 
That can capture bitter sobs from lips
And transform bitterness into a joyful tone: 
Friend, come drink a new soul from my lips.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2015 by Laura Prichard, (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 Rémy de Gourmont (1858 - 1915), "Berceuse", appears in Divertissements, in 6. Le vieux coffret, no. 2, Paris, Éd. G. Crès, first published 1912
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2015-12-26
Line count: 16
Word count: 137