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by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)

N'est‑ce pas triste que nos yeux se...
Language: French (Français) 
N'est-ce pas triste que nos yeux se ferment ? 
On voudrait avoir les yeux toujours ouverts, 
pour avoir vu, avant le terme, 
tout ce que l'on perd. 

N'est-il pas terrible que nos dents brillent ? 
Il nous aurait fallu un charme plus discret 
pour vivre en famille 
en ce temps de paix. 

Mais n'est-ce pas le pire que nos mains se cramponnent, 
dures et gourmandes ? 
Faut-il que des mains soient simples et bonnes 
pour lever l'offrande !

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Poèmes français, in 1. Vergers, no. 35 [author's text not yet checked 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 Giacomo Manzoni (b. 1932), "N'est-ce pas triste que nos yeux se ferment ?", 2006, copyright © 2006 [ chorus ], from Vergers, no. 2, Roma [etc.] : Rai Trade [sung text not yet checked]
  • by André-François Marescotti (1902 - 1995), "N'est-ce pas triste que nos yeux se ferment ?", published 1947 [ high voice and piano ], from Vergers, no. 2, Éd. Jean Jobert [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Léon Orthel (1905 - 1985), "N'est-ce pas triste", op. 61 (Sept mélodies) no. 6 (1972), published 1972 [ medium voice and piano ], Amsterdam, Ed. Donemus [sung text checked 1 time]

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: 74

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