Tu pupila es azul, y cuando ríes,
Su claridad süave me recuerda
El trémulo fulgor de la mañana
Que en el mar se refleja.
Tu pupila es azul, y cuando lloras,
Las [trasparentes]1 lágrimas en ella
Se me figuran gotas de rocío
Sobre una violeta.
Tu pupila es azul, y si en su fondo,
Como un punto de luz radia una idea,
Me parece en el cielo de la tarde
¡Una perdida estrella!
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)
Confirmed with Obras de Gustavo A. Bécquer, tomo segundo, Rimas, Madrid: Imprenta de T. Fortanet, 1871, page 264.
Note: inspired by Byron's I saw thee weep; sometimes given the title "Imitación de Byron"
1 J. Turina: "transparentes"
Notes: Spelling variants in first publication
The spelling variant "ries" in line 1 has been changed to "ríes".
The spelling variant "süave" in line 2 has been preserved to indicate the poetic diaeresis pronunciation.
The spelling variant "rádia" in line 12 has been changed to "radia".
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 or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Claycomb) , "Your eye is blue", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Tes yeux sont bleus", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Dein Augenstern ist blau", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust
[Administrator] , John Versmoren , Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 74
Tes yeux sont bleus et quand tu ris
Leur douce clarté me rappelle
La lueur tremblante de l'aube
Qui se reflète dans la mer.
Tes yeux sont bleus et quand tu pleures
Les larmes transparentes en eux
M'apparaissent comme des gouttes de rosée
Sur une violette.
Tes yeux sont bleus et si au fond d'eux
Une pensée brille comme un point de lumière,
Il me semble voir dans le ciel du soir
Une étoile perdue !