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All in the golden afternoon Full leisurely we glide; For both our oars, with little skill, By little arms are plied, While little hands make vain pretence Our wanderings to guide. Ah, cruel Three! In such an hour, Beneath such dreamy weather, To beg a tale of breath too weak To stir the tiniest feather! Yet what can one poor voice avail Against three tongues together? Imperious Prima flashes forth Her edict to "begin it": In gentler tones Secunda hopes "There will be nonsense in it!" While Tertia interrupts the tale Not more than once a minute. Anon, to sudden silence won, In fancy they pursue The dream-child moving through a land Of wonders wild and new, In friendly chat with bird or beast — And half believe it true. And ever, as the story drained The wells of fancy dry, And faintly strove that weary one To put the subject by, "The rest next time —" "It is next time!" The happy voices cry. Thus grew the tale of Wonderland: Thus slowly, one by one, Its quaint events were hammered out — And now the tale is done, And home we steer, a merry crew, Beneath the setting sun. Alice! A childish story take, And with a gentle hand, Lay it where Childhood's dreams are twined In Memory's mystic band, Like pilgrim's wither'd wreath of flowers Pluck'd in far-off land.
G. Bachlund sets stanzas 1, 7, 1
L. Lehmann sets stanza 7
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832 - 1898), as Lewis Carroll, no title, appears in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, London, MacMillan; text from the preface, first published 1865 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Childhood Dreams", 1991, published 1996, stanzas 1,7,1 [ high voice or medium voice and piano ], from "Alice" Songs, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Liza Lehmann (1862 - 1918), "Epilogue", stanza 7 [ soprano, contralto, tenor, and bass ], from Nonsense Songs: The Songs That Came Out Wrong, no. 9 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Betty Roe (b. 1930), "All in the golden afternoon" [ soprano, flute, piano and violoncello ] [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Henri Bué) , no title [an adaptation]
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-05-08
Line count: 42
Word count: 231
Dans l'après-midi doré, tous Pleins de langueur, nous voguons ; Car nos deux rames, avec peu d'habileté, Sont maniées par de petits bras, Tandis que de petites mains ont de vaines prétentions À guider notre errance. Ah, cruelle troisième ! En une telle heure, Sous un tel ciel plein de rêves, Mendier un conte d'un souffle trop faible Pour agiter la plus petite plume ! Pourtant que peut obtenir une pauvre voix Contre trois langues liguées ? La première impérieusement donne Son ordre « Commence-le » : D'un ton plus gentil la seconde espère : « Il y aura dedans des absurdités ! » Tandis que la troisième interrompt le conte Pas plus d'une fois par minute. Sous peu, dans le silence soudain obtenu Elles poursuivent dans la fantaisie L'enfant rêveur à travers un pays De merveilles sauvages et nouvelles, Dans une conversation amicale avec oiseaux et bêtes -- Et croient à moitié que c'est vrai. Et sans cesse, comme l'histoire asséchait Complètement les puits de la fantaisie, Et faiblement cet homme fatigué s'efforçait De mettre de côté le sujet, « La suite, la prochaine fois -- » « C'est déjà la prochaine fois ! » Crient les voix heureuses. Ainsi grandit le conte du pays des merveilles : Ainsi lentement, un par un, Ses évènements bizarres étaient façonnés -- Et maintenant le conte est terminé, Et vers la maison nous nous dirigeons, équipage heureux, Sous le soleil couchant. Alice ! Prends cette histoire enfantine Et d'une gentille main Dépose-la où les rêves de l'enfance sont tressés En une guirlande mystique du souvenir Comme une couronne de fleurs fanées de pélerin Cueillies dans un pays très lointain.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of title(s):
"All in the golden afternoon" = "Dans l'après-midi doré"
"Childhood Dreams" = "Rêves d'enfance"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2016 by Guy Laffaille, (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 English by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832 - 1898), as Lewis Carroll, no title, appears in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, London, MacMillan; text from the preface, first published 1865
This text was added to the website: 2016-12-29
Line count: 42
Word count: 264