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Quand le soir est venu, que tout est calme enfin Dans la chaude nature, Voici que naît sous l'arbre et sous le ciel divin La plus vive torture. Sur les graviers d'argent, dans les bois apaisés, Des violons s'exaltent. Ce sont des jets de cris, de sanglots, de baisers, Sans contrainte et sans halte. Il semble que l'archet se cabre, qu'il se tord Sur les luisantes cordes, Tant ce sont des appels de plaisir et de mort Et de miséricorde. Et le brûlant archet enroulé de langueur Gémit, souffre, caresse, Poignard voluptueux qui pénètre le coeur D'une épuisante ivresse. Archets, soyez maudits pour vos brûlants accords, Pour votre âme explosive, Fers rouges qui dans l'ombre arrachez à nos corps Des lambeaux de chair vive!
Authorship
- by Anna Elizabeth Mathieu, Comtesse de Noailles (1876 - 1933), appears in Les Éblouissements, first published 1907 [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 Charles Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921), "Violons dans le soir", 1907, published 1907 [medium voice, piano, violin obbligato], Éd. Durand [ sung text verified 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , title 1: "Violins in the evening", copyright © 2016
Researcher for this text: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 124
When evening has come and all is finally calm In warm Nature, There stirs beneath the trees and beneath the divine sky The keenest torment. On the silver gravel, in the tranquil woods, There is a flourish of violins: It is a stream of cries, of sobs, of kisses, Without restraint and without cease. It seems as if the violin bow is twisting Over the gleaming strings, For these are true calls of pleasure and of death -- And of mercy. And the burning bow reels in lassitude, Groaning, suffering and caressing - A voluptuous dagger that pierces the heart With exhausting euphoria. Bows, be cursed for your burning chords, For your explosive soul: Red-hot brands that in the shadows tear from our bodies Scraps of living flesh!
Authorship
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2016 by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive -- https://www.lieder.net/For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
- a text in French (Français) by Anna Elizabeth Mathieu, Comtesse de Noailles (1876 - 1933), appears in Les Éblouissements, first published 1907
This text was added to the website: 2016-02-04
Line count: 20
Word count: 127