by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896)
Translation by Fyodor Kuzmych Teternikov (1863 - 1927), as Fyodor Sologub

Le ciel est, par‑dessus le toit
Language: French (Français) 
Available translation(s): CAT CHI ENG ENG ITA SPA
Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit,
  Si bleu, si calme !
Un arbre, par-dessus le toit,
  Berce sa palme.

La cloche, dans le ciel qu'on voit,
  Doucement tinte.
Un oiseau sur l'arbre qu'on voit
  Chante sa plainte.

Mon Dieu, mon Dieu, la vie est là
  Simple et tranquille.
Cette paisible rumeur-là
  Vient de la ville.

Qu'as-tu fait, ô toi que voilà
  Pleurant sans cesse,
Dis, qu'as-tu fait, toi que voilà,
  De ta jeunesse ?

About the headline (FAQ)

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) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • CHI Chinese (中文) (Yen-Chiang Che) , "監禁", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Píseň"
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , no title, copyright © 2016
  • ENG English (Ernest Christopher Dowson) , no title, appears in Decorations, in After Paul Verlaine, no. 4
  • ENG English (Amy Pfrimmer) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Il cielo, lassù oltre il tetto", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (José Miguel Llata) , "Desde la prisión", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Ted Perry

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 74

Синева небес над кровлей
Language: Russian (Русский)  after the French (Français) 
Синева небес над кровлей 
            Ясная такая!
Тополь высится над кровлей, 
            Ветви наклоняя.

Из лазури этой в окна
            Тихий звон несется,
Грустно с веток этих в окна 
            Песня птички льётся

Боже мой! Я звуки слышу
           Жизни мирной, скромной.
Город шепчет мне, — я слышу 
           Этот ропот томный:

«Что ты сделал, что ты сделал! 
           Исходя слезами,
О, подумай, что ты сделал   
           С юными годами!»

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Note on Transliterations

Authorship:

Based on:

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


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2021-08-22
Line count: 16
Word count: 62