Kennst du die weiße Grabstatt unterm Laube

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by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872)

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

Connaissez‑vous la blanche tombe

Language: French (Français)

Available translation(s): CAT DUT ENG ENG GER ITA SPA

Connaissez-vous la blanche tombe,
Où flotte avec un son plaintif
  L'ombre d'un if ?
Sur l'if une pâle colombe,
Triste et seule au soleil couchant,
  Chante son chant :

Un air maladivement tendre,
À la fois charmant et fatal,
  Qui vous fait mal,
Et qu'on voudrait toujours entendre ;
Un air, comme en soupire aux cieux
  L'ange amoureux. 

On dirait que l'âme éveillée
Pleure sous terre à l'unisson
  De la chanson,
Et du malheur d'être oubliée
Se plaint dans un roucoulement
  Bien doucement.

Sur les ailes de la musique
On sent lentement revenir
  Un souvenir;
Une [ombre de forme]¹ angélique,
Passe dans un rayon tremblant,
  En voile blanc.

Les belles-de-nuit demi-closes,
Jettent leur parfum faible et doux
  Autour de vous,
Et le fantôme aux molles poses
Murmure en vous tendant les bras:
  « Tu reviendras ? »

Oh! jamais plus, près de la tombe,
Je n'irai, quand descend le soir
  Au manteau noir,
Écouter la pâle colombe
Chanter sur la [branche]² de l'if
  Son chant plaintif !

H. Duparc sets stanzas 1, 3, 6
P. Hersant sets stanza 4
E. de Polignac sets stanzas 1-5

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Théophile Gauthier, La comédie de la mort, Desessart editeur, Paris, 1838, page 305.

¹ Berlioz: "ombre, une forme"
² Duparc, Berlioz: "pointe"

Authorship:

by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872), "Lamento", appears in La Comédie de la Mort, first published 1838 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Hector Berlioz (1803 - 1869), "Au cimetière", op. 7 no. 5 (1840) [ voice and orchestra ], from Les Nuits d'Été, no. 5, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]
by Allyre Bureau (1810 - 1859), "La blanche tombe", 1837-8, published 1840 [ voice and English horn or cello ], from Deux mélodies pour chant et piano (poésies de Gautier), no. 1, Paris, chez Ad. Catelin & Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
by Henri Duparc (1848 - 1933), "Lamento", 1883, published 1895, stanzas 1,3,6 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Rouart, Lerolle & Cie (Salabert) [sung text checked 1 time]
by Philippe Hersant (b. 1948), "Lamento", 1998, stanza 4 [ duet for mezzo-soprano and baritone with piano ], Paris, Durand [sung text checked 1 time]
by Émile Paladilhe (1844 - 1926), "La colombe - Lamento", published 1906 [ high voice and piano ], from Feuilles au vent - 1^ère série, no. 4, Paris, Heugel [sung text not yet checked]
by Edmond de Polignac, prince (1834 - 1901), "Lamento", stanzas 1-5 [ voice and piano or orchestra ], Édition G. Hartmann [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Peter Cornelius (1824 - 1874) , "Auf dem Friedhofe" ; composed by Hector Berlioz.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Marike Lindhout) , "Lamento", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Lament", copyright ©
ENG English (Kyle Gee) , "Lament", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
SPA Spanish (Español) (Alberto Bonati) , copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2003-10-20
Line count: 36
Word count: 167

Kennst du die weiße Grabstatt unterm...

Language: German (Deutsch) after the French (Français)

Kennst du die weiße Grabstatt unterm Laube,
wo klagend Schatten treiben,
Schatten der Eiben?
Auf ihnen eine fahle Taube,
traurig, allein beim Sonnenuntergang
singt ihren Sang:

Eine Weise, zart und zährend,
voller Reiz und schicksalshaft,
die Kummer schafft.
Und dennoch lauschst du ihr fortwährend,
ein Seufzen, das von Engeln stammt,
liebesentflammt.

Man sagt, eine erweckte Seele
weint aus dem Grab im selben Klang,
wie Taubes Sang.
Aus Kummer, dass sie keinem fehle,
gurrt sie in Leid auf Taubenweise,
ganz leise.

Die Schwingen aus der Töne Reich
dann mählich schenken
Gedenken:
Ein Schatten, engelgleich,
erscheint in einem zitternd’ Strahl,
im Schleier, fahl.

Die Wunderblumen, halb geschlossen,
verströmen ihren Duft um dich,
süß, unmerklich,
und das Phantom in vagen Posen
raunt und reckt den Arm nach dir:
„Kommst du zu mir?“

Ach! Niemals mehr geh ich zum Grabe,
wenn Dunkelheit herniedersteigt
im schwarzen Kleid,
und ich die Taub’ vernommen habe
und aus den Eiben drang
ihr Klagesang!

About the headline (FAQ)

Translation of title "Au cimetière" = "Auf dem Friedhof"

Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2018 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact:

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872), "Lamento", appears in La Comédie de la Mort, first published 1838

This text was added to the website: 2018-10-09
Line count: 36
Word count: 155