In a dark forest | The light is purer and the flowers smell sweeter

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Rémy de Gourmont (1858 - 1915)

Translation © by Laura Prichard

In una selva oscura

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

La lumière est plus pur et les fleurs sont plus douces, 
Le vent qui passe apporte des roses lointaines, 
Les pavés sous nos pieds deviennent de la mousse, 
Nous aspiront l'odeur des herbes et des fontaines. 

Un printemps nous enveloppe de son sourire, 
Entre nous et le bruit un rideau de verdure 
Tremble et chatoie, nous protège et soupire, 
Cependant que notre âme s'exalte et se rassure. 

O vie! Fais que ce léger rideau de verdure 
Devienne une forêt impénétrable aux hommes 
Où nos coeurs, enfermés dans sa fraicheur obscure, 
Soient oubliés du monde, sans plus penser au monde!

Text Authorship:

by Rémy de Gourmont (1858 - 1915), "In una selva oscura", appears in Divertissements, in 6. Le vieux coffret, no. 3, Paris, Éd. G. Crès [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), "In una selva oscura", 1917, published 1918 [ medium voice and piano ], from Le vieux coffret, no. 3, Éd. Durand [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "In a dark forest", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) [singable] (Dr Huaixing Wang) , "黑暗森林中", copyright © 2024, (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: 12
Word count: 99

In a dark forest

Language: English after the French (Français)

The light is purer and the flowers smell sweeter, 
the passing wind carries the smell of distant roses, 
The cobblestones beneath our feet dissolve into foam/moss, 
We breathe in the odor of herbs and fountains. 

Spring’s smile envelops us, 
Separating us from noise, a green curtain 
Shakes and shimmers, protects us and sighs, 
Whiles our lifeblood grows excited and feels reassured. 

O life! May this soft curtain of greenery
Become an impenetrable forest to mankind 
Where our hearts, enclosed in dark coolness, 
May be forgotten by the worlde, without any thoughts of the world!

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), "In una selva oscura", appears in Divertissements, in 6. Le vieux coffret, no. 3, Paris, Éd. G. Crès
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2015-12-26
Line count: 12
Word count: 94