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Ô l'heure douce ! Ô l'exquise seconde Où nous restâmes seuls dans le salon frileux ! Le pâle éclat du jour rendait tes yeux plus bleus Et de t'aimer déjà je te trouvais plus blonde. A travers le vitrail fané nous regardions les flocons Tournoyer le long des avenues ; Sur la fontaine on aurait dit des papillons, On aurait dit des lys dans les branches chenues... Sans le vouloir mes doigts effleurèrent tes doigts, Et ma bouche effleura ta bouche; Et, sortilège ! Ton visage et tes mains devinrent blancs et froids Comme la neige.
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Marie-Joseph-Alexandre Déodat de Séverac (1872 - 1921), "Temps de neige", 1903, published 1904 [ high voice and piano ], Édition Poulalion [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Snowy weather", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 13
Word count: 96
O sweet hour! O exquisite moment When we lingered alone in the freezing salon! The pale dawn made your eyes seem even more blue And though I already loved you, I found you even fairer. Through the old1 stained glass window, we watched the snowflakes Spinning down the avenues; Around the fountain, one might have said [they saw] butterflies, One might have said [they saw] lilies in the bare branches… Unintentionally, my fingers grazed your fingers, And my mouth touched your mouth; And, a spell [was cast]! Your face and your hands became as white and cold As snow.
1 note: "fané" can refer to an older type of glass with imperfections that cause images to warp and blur
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 Henry Gauthier-Villars (1859 - 1931)
This text was added to the website: 2016-06-05
Line count: 13
Word count: 99