If he’s spoken true, let the foliage of the holy tree

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by Joachim du Bellay (1525 - c1560)

Translation © by David Wyatt

S'il a dict vray, seiche pour moy...

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

S'il a dict vray, seiche pour moy l'ombrage 
De l'arbre sainct, ornement de mes vers. 
Mon nom sans bruit erre par l'univers, 
Pleuve sur moy du ciel toute la rage. 
S'il a dict vray, de mes soupirs l'orage, 
De cruauté les durs rochers couvers, 
De desespoir les abismes ouvers, 
Et tout peril conspire en mon naufrage. 
S'il a menti, la blanche main d'yvoire 
Ceigne mon front des fueilles, que j'honnore: 
Les Astres soient les bornes de ma gloire. 
Le ciel bening me decouvre sa trace: 
Voz deux beaux yeux, deux flambeaux que j'adore, 
Guident ma nef au port de vostre grace.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Joachim du Bellay (1525 - c1560), no title, written 1550, appears in L'Olive, no. 98, Éd. Gilles Corroset et Arnoul l'Angelier, first published 1550 [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 André-Marie Cuvelier , "S'il a dit vrai", 1941 [ high voice and piano ], from Chansons pour Hélène, 8ème recueil, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (David Wyatt) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2016-05-27
Line count: 14
Word count: 102

If he’s spoken true, let the foliage of...

Language: English after the French (Français)

If he’s spoken true, let the foliage of the holy tree
Wilt for me, that ornament of my verse ;
Let my name wander without fame through the world,
Let all the rage of heaven rain on me.
If he’s spoken true, the storm of my sighs,
The hard rocks covered in cruelty,
The open abysses of despair,
And every peril conspire in my shipwreck.
If he’s lied, may the white ivory hand
Bind my brow with the leaves which I honour;
May the stars be the limit of my glory,
May benign heaven reveal its path to me;
May your two fair eyes, the two torches I adore,
Guide my ship to the port of your grace.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2017 by David Wyatt, (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 Joachim du Bellay (1525 - c1560), no title, written 1550, appears in L'Olive, no. 98, Éd. Gilles Corroset et Arnoul l'Angelier, first published 1550
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2017-06-10
Line count: 14
Word count: 117