by Jean Philippe Rameau (1683 - 1764)
Translation © by Andrew Schneider

Air plaintif
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG
Faut-il qu'Amarillis périsse ?
Diane, apaise ton courroux ;
Par un horrible sacrifice
Peux-tu briser des noeuds si doux ?

Faut-il qu'Amarillis périsse, &c.

Ah ! si la timide innocence
Sur vos autels doit expirer,
Dieux ! quelle est donc la récompense
Que la vertu doit espérer ?

Faut-il qu'Amarillis périsse, &c.

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 (Andrew Schneider) , "Plaintive Air", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Leslie McEwen

This text was added to the website: 2004-04-27
Line count: 10
Word count: 46

Plaintive Air
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
Must Amaryllis then die?
Diana, appease your wrath.
Can you break apart such sweet chains
with such a horrible sacrifice?

Ah! if timid innocence must 
upon your altars perish,
gods! what then is the reward
which virtue can hope to receive?

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2019 by Andrew Schneider, (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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This text was added to the website: 2019-02-11
Line count: 8
Word count: 41