Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Ton sourire infini m'est cher
Comme le divin pli des ondes,
Et je te crains quand tu me grondes,
Comme la mer.
L'azur de tes grands yeux m'est cher :
C'est un lointain que je regarde
Sans cesse et sans y prendre garde,
Un ciel de mer.
Ton courage léger m'est cher :
C'est un souffle vif où ma vie
S'emplit d'aise et se fortifie,
L'air de la mer.
Enfin ton être entier m'est cher,
Toujours nouveau, toujours le même ;
O ma Néréide, je t'aime
Comme la mer !
Authorship:
- by René-François Sully-Prudhomme (1839 - 1907), "Chanson de mer", appears in Stances et Poèmes, in 1. Stances, in 4. Mélanges, no. 11, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1866 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Louis Aubert (1877 - 1968), "Chanson de mer", 1900, published 1909 [ medium voice and piano ], from Douze Chants, no. 6, Paris, Édition Durand [sung text not yet checked]
- by René de Boisdeffre (1838 - 1906), "Chanson de mer", op. 45 no. 1, published [1892] [ medium voice and piano ], from Six mélodies, recueil 3, no. 1, Éd. J. Hamelle [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henri Marteau (1874 - 1934), "Chanson de mer", op. 19b no. 5 (c1917) [ voice and piano ], from Huit Mélodies pour chant avec accompagnement de piano, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jean Rebillard , "Chanson de mer", published [1913] [ high voice and piano ], from Trois mélodies, no. 3, Éd. Maurice Senart & Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Pauline Viardot-García (1821 - 1910), "Chanson de mer" [ voice and piano ], Éd. Enoch Frères & Costallat [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louis Vierne (1870 - 1937), "Chanson de mer", op. 29 no. 2 (1912) [ high voice and piano or orchestra ], from Stances d'amour et de rêve, no. 2, Éd. Durand et Cie [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Píseň na moři"
- ENG English (Michael Berridge) , "Sea song", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Amy Pfrimmer) , "Song of the sea", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2013-12-10
Line count: 16
Word count: 90
Your infinite smile is dear to me as the fold of the waves divine, and I fear you when you rumble like the sea. And the blue of your big eyes is dear to me: It is a distant goal at which I look unceasingly and frankly, a sea sky. Your effortless courage is dear to me: it is a keen breeze where my life is refreshed and fortified, the air of the sea. In fact, your entire being is dear to me, ever new, ever the same; O my Nereid, I love you as the sea!
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2020 by Michael Berridge, (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.
Contact:
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by René-François Sully-Prudhomme (1839 - 1907), "Chanson de mer", appears in Stances et Poèmes, in 1. Stances, in 4. Mélanges, no. 11, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1866
This text was added to the website: 2020-01-11
Line count: 16
Word count: 97