by
Vincent d'Indy (1851 - 1931)
Sur la mer
Language: French (Français)
Available translation(s): ENG
Sur la mer la brume grise est répandue.
Comme un aigle elle plane et s’étend.
Les vaisseaux, mornes et lents, glissent sans bruit sur l’onde,
et les pilotes pieux cherchent leur chemin dans l’ombre.
Mais, à l’horizon terne, parait une rose lueur.
Un cercle d’or frange la nue.
Un oblique rayon se glisse sur les flots.
Tout s’éclaire, tout scintille, tout s’illumine.
C’est l’aurore! C’est le jour! C’est le Soleil!
O Soleil, centre du monde, astre pur, astre vainqueur,
en tes baisers, l’ardente Nature puise la force et la beauté.
O grand Soleil, pure lumière, astre d’or, astre d’amour,
en tes baisers, en tes chaudes caresses, o roi!
le monde entier puise la force et la beauté.
Mais, le disque immense se voile et disparaît . . .
A peine un rayon s’échappe encore . . .
La lueur s’enfuit. La jaune lueur s’éteint sous le brouillard plus fort;
tout est sombre; tout est mort!
Sur la mer la brume grise est revenue.
Plus épaisse elle roule et s’épand.
Les pilotes, plus soucieux, cherchent des yeux la côte;
et les récifs, noirs tombeaux, dressent leurs soudains fantômes.
Sur la mer la brume grise est répandue.
Comme un aigle elle plane et s’étend.
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Grant Hicks) , title 1: "Over the sea", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Grant Hicks
This text was added to the website: 2016-07-09
Line count: 24
Word count: 202
Over the sea
Language: English  after the French (Français)
Over the sea the gray mist is spread out.
Like an eagle it floats and stretches itself.
The ships, dreary and slow, glide noiselessly over the waves,
And the pious pilots seek their route in the darkness.
But, on the dull horizon, a pink glow appears.
A circle of gold fringes the cloud.
An oblique ray glides over the waves.
All is lit up, all glitters, all becomes bright.
It is the dawn! It is the day! It is the Sun!
O Sun, center of the world, pure star, conquering star,
from your kisses ardent Nature draws strength and beauty.
O great Sun, pure light, star of gold, star of love,
from your kisses, from your warm caresses, O king!
the whole world draws strength and beauty!
But the immense disk veils itself and disappears . . .
Hardly a ray any longer escapes . . .
The glow flees, the yellow glow is extinguished beneath the heavier fog;
all is dark; all is dead!
Over the sea the gray mist has returned.
Thicker it rolls and spreads.
The pilots, more careful, seek the coast with their eyes;
And the reefs, black tombs, raise their sudden phantoms.
Over the sea the gray mist is spread out.
Like an eagle it floats and stretches itself.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2016 by Grant Hicks, (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:
This text was added to the website: 2016-07-09
Line count: 24
Word count: 214