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by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896)
Translation © by Peter Low
Je suis venu, calme orphelin
Language: French (Français)
Available translation(s): ENG
Gaspard Hauser chante : Je suis venu, calme orphelin, Riche de mes seuls yeux tranquilles, Vers les hommes des grandes villes : Ils ne m'ont pas trouvé malin. À vingt ans un trouble nouveau, Sous le nom d'amoureuses flammes M'a fait trouver belles les femmes : Elles ne m'ont pas trouvé beau. Bien que sans patrie et sans roi Et très brave ne l'étant guère, J'ai voulu mourir à la guerre : La mort n'a pas voulu de moi. Suis-je né trop tôt ou trop tard ? Qu'est-ce que je fais en ce monde ? Ô vous tous, ma peine est profonde : Priez pour le pauvre Gaspard !
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), no title, appears in Sagesse, in Sagesse III, no. 4, first published 1880 [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 Tony Aubin (1907 - 1981), "Chanson de Gaspard Hauser", published 1932 [ voice and piano ], from Six poèmes de Verlaine, no. 4, Paris, Heugel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jacques Bousquet (1883 - 1939), "Gaspard Hauser chante", published 1911 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Hayet [sung text not yet checked]
- by Marguerite Canal (1890 - 1978), "Je suis venu calme orphelin", published 1931, from Sagesse, no. 2, Paris, Heugel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Édouard-Simon Combe (1866 - 1942), "Chanson de Gaspard Hauser", 1897 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by J.-M. Depelsenaire , "Chanson de Gaspard Hauser", 1972 [ bass and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Francis Dhomont , "Suis-je né trop tôt ?", [1955] [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hector Michel Fraggi (1882 - 1944), "La complainte de Gaspard", published 1934 [ voice and piano ], Vincennes, Ricard [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paule-Émile Gille , "Je suis venu, calme orphelin " [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Olivier Greif (1950 - 2000), "Chanson de Gaspard Hauser", op. 11 (1966) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jean Hubeau (1917 - 1992), "Le pauvre Gaspard", 1937 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Maxime Joyeux , "Pauvre Gaspard", published [1954] [ voice and piano ], Paris, M. Joyeux [sung text not yet checked]
- by Émile Lambelin (1910 - 1965), "Complainte de Gaspard", 1952 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Georges Moustaki (1934 - 2013), "Gaspard", 1969, published 1982 [ voice and guitar ], from Vingt succès [sung text not yet checked]
- by Émile-Barthélemy Passani , "Chanson de Gaspard", 1946 [ voice and piano ], from Trois poèmes de Verlaine, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paule Perrin (1906 - 1959), "Gaspard Hauser chante", published [1959] [ voice and piano ], Paris, P. Perrin [sung text not yet checked]
- by Théodore Terestchenko (b. 1888), "Gaspard Hauser", published [1913] [ voice and piano ], from Quatre mélodies, no. 1, Paris, Hamelle [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920) , "Lied Kaspar Hausers" ; composed by Franz Dannehl, Felix Wolfes.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Stefan George (1868 - 1933) , no title, appears in Zeitgenössische Dichter, in Frankreich, in Paul Verlaine, in Aus: Weisheit ; composed by Bernhard Blau.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Peter Low) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-06-08
Line count: 17
Word count: 110
I came, a calm orphan
Language: English after the French (Français)
Gaspar Hauser sings: I came, a calm orphan, with no wealth but my peaceful eyes, among the men of the cities: they did not find me clever. At age twenty a new turmoil - it is known as amorous flames - made me find women beautiful: they did not find me handsome. Though lacking a homeland or king and not being very brave, I wanted to go to war and die: death didn't want me. Was I born too early or too late? What am I doing in this world? Listen, all of you, I am in deep sorrow: say a prayer for poor Gaspard.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2021 by Peter Low, (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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Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), no title, appears in Sagesse, in Sagesse III, no. 4, first published 1880
This text was added to the website: 2021-03-11
Line count: 17
Word count: 106