by
Marc-André Délpit (1849 - 1893), as Albert Délpit
Je ne puis espérer
Language: French (Français)
Ce n'est pas même la souffrance
Qui me fait me taire et pleurer;
La douleur a son espérance,
Et moi, je ne puis espérer!
Ce n'est pas le regret qui tue,
D'une joie éclose et qui meurt;
Pour la perdre il faut l'avoir eue!
Et je n'ai pas eu ce bonheur!
Hélas! c'est l'angoisse suprême
Que rien ne saurait exprimer!
Sentir qu'on aime et qu'on vous aime,
Et savoir qu'on ne peut s'aimer!
Text 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 Prichard) , "I shouldn’t hope", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 73
I shouldn’t hope
Language: English after the French (Français)
It’s not even suffering
that makes me break down and weep;
The pain of it makes me hope,
And I shouldn’t hope!
It’s not regret that kills,
But a joy which blossoms and dies;
To lose it, you must have had it!
And I haven’t had this happiness!
Alas! it’s the supreme agony
That nothing can explain!
To love and to feel loved,
And to know that we may not love each other!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2018 by Laura Prichard, (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: 2018-01-07
Line count: 12
Word count: 73