Farewell to that pretty eye, so human

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by Clément Marot (1496 - 1544)

Translation © by Laura Prichard

Adieu, ce bel œil tant humain

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG ENG

Adieu, ce bel œil tant humain,
Bouche de bon propos armée,
D'ivoire la gorge et la main
Taille sur toutes bien formée:
Adieu, douceur tant estimée,
Vertu l'ambre ressemblant:
Adieu de celui mieux aimée
Qui moins en montra de semblant.
Plaisir n'ai plus, mais vy en déconfort;
Morte est m'amour, dont suis en grand' langueur
Langoureux suix plein d'am re liqueur;
Le cœur me part pour sa dolente mort.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Clément Marot (1496 - 1544), "A Madame de la Barme, pres de Necy en Genevois", written 1543, appears in Les Épigrammes, in 3. Livre III, no. 96 [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 Jean Françaix (1912 - 1997), "Complainte", 1941, published 1948 [ medium voice and piano ], from L'adolescence Clémentine, no. 4, Éd. Max Eschig [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (John Glenn Paton) , "Lament", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Laura Prichard) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: John Glenn Paton [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2010-12-28
Line count: 12
Word count: 69

Farewell to that pretty eye, so human

Language: English after the French (Français)

Farewell to that pretty eye, so human,
To that mouth armed with witty discourse,
To the ivory neck and hand,
To that figure, more shapely than any other:
Farewell, to that most esteemed sweetness,
To virtue as precious as amber:
Farewell to her who, the more she was loved
The less she gave any love.
I have no more pleasure, and live in total discomfort;
Dead is my love, which causes me great sadness,
I languish, full of bitter drink;
My heart leaves me dying of sadness.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translation of title "Complainte" = "Lament"

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2016 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 Clément Marot (1496 - 1544), "A Madame de la Barme, pres de Necy en Genevois", written 1543, appears in Les Épigrammes, in 3. Livre III, no. 96
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2016-04-15
Line count: 12
Word count: 87