by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896)
Translation © by Núria Colomer

Les roses étaient toutes rouges
Language: French (Français) 
Available translation(s): CAT ENG GER
Les roses étaient toutes rouges
Et les lierres étaient tout noirs.

Chère, pour peu que tu te bouges
Renaissent tous mes désespoirs.

Le ciel était [trop bleu, trop tendre,]1
La mer trop [verte et l'air trop doux.]2

Je crains toujours, -- ce qu'est d'attendre
Quelque fuite atroce de vous.

Du houx à la feuille vernie
Et du luisant buis je suis las,

Et de la campagne infinie
Et de tout, fors de vous, hélas !

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Phaneuf (Dela): "si bleu, si tendre"
2 Phaneuf (Dela): "verte, l'air si doux!"

Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) [singable] (Núria Colomer) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Corinne Orde) , "Spleen", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-10-20
Line count: 12
Word count: 74

Les roses eren totes roges
Language: Catalan (Català)  after the French (Français) 
Les roses eren totes roges
i les heures eren negroses.

Cara, per poc que tu remoguis
Reneixen tots mes desespers.

El cel era [massa blau, massa tendre],
La mar massa [glauca i el vent tan dolç].

Em fa por sempre, - cosa esperada
Qualque deslleialtat de vós.

Del grèvol a la fulla lluent
I del brillant boix jo sóc las,

I de la prada infinita
I de tot, fora de vós, ai las!

About the headline (FAQ)

Translation of title "Spleen" = "Spleen"

Versió cantable per a la cançó de Debussy.


Authorship:

  • Singable translation from French (Français) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2020 by Núria Colomer, (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: 2020-01-29
Line count: 12
Word count: 73