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J'ai perdu la forêt, la plaine, Et les frais avrils d'autre-fois. Donne tes lèvres, leur haleine Ce sera le souffle des bois. J'ai perdu l'océan morose, Son deuil, ses vagues, ses échos; Dis-moi n'importe quelle chose, Ce sera la rumeur des flots. Lourd d'une tristesse royale Mon front songe aux soleils enfuis. Oh! cache-moi dans ton sein pâle! Ce sera le calme des nuits.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Auguste, Comte de Villiers de L'isle-Adam (1838 - 1889), "L'aveu (À une enfant taciturne)", written 1866, appears in Contes cruels, in Conte d'Amour, no. 2 [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 Léon Boëllmann (1862 - 1897), "L'aveu", op. 26 no. 1 (1896), published 1896 [ high voice and piano ], from Conte d’Amour, no. 1, Édition Baudoux [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernest Amédée Chausson (1855 - 1899), "L'aveu", op. 13 (Quatre mélodies) no. 3 (1885) [ high voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Bernard-Louis Crocé-Spinelli (1871 - 1932), "L'Aveu", published 1898 [ medium voice and piano ], from Six Mélodies, no. 2, Paris, Éditions 'Au Ménestrel' Heugel & Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Georges Flé , "L'aveu", published 1898 [ medium voice and piano ], from Poésies mises en musique, no. 7, Édition du Mercure de France [sung text not yet checked]
- by Émile Naoumoff (b. 1962), "L'aveu", 2004/6, published 2008 [ voice and piano ], from Quatre mélodies, no. 1, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Émile Naoumoff (b. 1962), "L'aveu", 1962 [ medium voice and piano ], from Mélodies choisies, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , copyright © 2016, (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: 64
I’ve lost the forest, the plain, And the fresh April of bygone days. Give [me] your lips, their breath Will be the breath of the woods. I’ve lost the morose ocean, Its grief, its waves, its echos; You can say anything you want to about it, It’ll be the secret of the streams. Heavy with royal sorrow My brow dreams of the scattered sunbeams. Oh! snuggle me to your pale bosom! That will take place in the still of the night.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translation of title "L'aveu" = "The vow"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.
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Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Auguste, Comte de Villiers de L'isle-Adam (1838 - 1889), "L'aveu (À une enfant taciturne)", written 1866, appears in Contes cruels, in Conte d'Amour, no. 2
This text was added to the website: 2016-04-15
Line count: 12
Word count: 81