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Je suis homme nè pour mourir, Je suis bien seur que du trespas Je ne me sçaurois secourir Que poudre je n'aille là-bas. Je cognois bien les ans que j'ay, Mais ceus qui me doibvent venir, Bons ou mauvais, je ne les sçay, Ny quand mon age doit finir. Pource fuyés vous-en, esmoy, Qui rongés mon coeur à tous cous, Fuyés vous-en bien loing de moy, Je n'ay que fair' avecques vous. Au moins avant que trespasser, Que je [paisse]1 à mon ais' un jour Jouer, sauter, rir', et dancer, Avecque Bacchus, et Amour.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Note: this poem, in imitation of Anacreon, is grouped below Εις εαυτον in Anacréon et les Poèmes anacréontiques, ed. by Achille Delboulle, Havre, Lemale et Cie, 1891, pages 79-80.
1 Castro: "puis"Authorship
- by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), "Imitation d'Anacreon", ode. [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 Jean de Castro (c1540 - c1600), "Je suis homme nè pour mourir" [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Judith Cloud , "Je suis homme, né pour mourir" [ baritone or mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Quatre mélodies de Ronsard, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Faith J. Cormier) , "I am a man born to die", copyright © 2000, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 95
I am a man born to die. I am certain that I cannot save myself from death, from descending into death. Well I know the years I have had, but those that are to come, good or bad, I do not know, nor when my age shall end. Flee, confusion that gnaws at my heart at all costs. Flee far from me. I have nothing to do with you, unless, before I die, some day I may play and jump, laugh and dance, with Bacchus and Love.
Authorship
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2000 by Faith J. Cormier, (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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- a text in French (Français) by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), "Imitation d'Anacreon", ode.
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 87