Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Tous les jours, écartant les roseaux et les branches, Près du fleuve où j'habite un pêcheur vient s'asseoir -- Car sous l'onde il a vu glisser des formes blanches -- Et reste là, rêveur, du matin jusqu'au soir. L'air frémit, l'eau soupire et semble avoir une âme, Un œil bleu s'ouvre et brille au cœur des nénuphars, Un poisson se transforme et prend un corps de femme, Et des bras amoureux, et de charmants regards. « Pêcheur, suis-moi ; je t'aime. Tu seras roi des eaux, Avec un diadème D'iris et de roseaux ! « Perçant, sous l'eau dormante, Des joncs la verte mante, Auprès de ton amante Plonge sans t'effrayer : « À l'autel de rocailles, Prêt pour nos fiançailles, Un prêtre à mains d'écailles Viendra nous marier. « Pêcheur, suis-moi ; je t'aime. Tu seras roi des eaux, Avec un diadème D'iris et de roseaux ! » Et déjà le pêcheur a mis le pied dans l'onde Pour suivre le fantôme au regard fascinant : L'eau murmure, bouillonne et devient plus profonde, Et sur lui se ferme en tournant... « De ma bouche bleuâtre, Viens, je veux t'embrasser, Et de mes bras d'albâtre T'enlacer, Te bercer, Te presser ! « Sous les eaux, de sa flamme L'amour sait m'embraser. Je veux, buvant ton âme, D'un baiser M'apaiser, T'épuiser !... »
Authorship:
- by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872), "L'Ondine et le Pêcheur", written 1841, appears in Poésies diverses, poésies nouvelles et inédites, poésies posthumes, in Poésies diverses 1838-1845 [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 Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , as Vicomte de W., "L'Ondine et le Pêcheur", published 1860 [ high voice and piano ], Paris, Flaxland [sung text not yet checked]
- by François Emmanuel Joseph Bazin (1816 - 1878), "L'Ondine et le Pêcheur", 1841 [ soprano and piano ], Éd. S. Richault  [sung text not yet checked]
- by Pierre (Onfroy) de Bréville (1861 - 1949), "L'Ondine et le Pêcheur", 1884 [ soprano and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
- possibly by Émile Louis Victor Mathieu (1844 - 1932) and by Jenny Cogen-Van Rysselberghe (1879 - 1966), "L'Ondine et le Pêcheur", 1903 [ mezzo-soprano or soprano and piano or orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by R. Cottier , "L'Ondine et le Pêcheur", published 1876 [ mezzo-soprano or soprano and piano ], Paris, Minier [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Abraham Dukas (1865 - 1935), "L'Ondine et le Pêcheur", 1884 [ soprano and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Émile Filliaux , "L'Ondine et le Pêcheur", published 1885 [ medium voice and piano ], Nice, E. Filliaux [sung text not yet checked]
- by Vincent d'Indy (1851 - 1931), "L'Ondine et le Pêcheur", mentioned in Charles de Lovenjoul's Bibliographie et littérature, possibly an error [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Xavier Désiré, Marquis Richard d'Ivry (1829 - 1903), "L'Ondine et le Pêcheur", published 185-? [ voice and piano ], Paris, E. Heu [sung text not yet checked]
- by Léon Charles François Kreutzer (1817 - 1868), "L'Ondine et le Pêcheur", published 1847 [ soprano and piano ], from 26 mélodies pour chant et piano, no. 17, Paris, Richault [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louis (Trouillon) Lacombe (1818 - 1884), "L'Ondine et le Pêcheur", op. 39 no. 1, first performed 1847 [ tenor or soprano and orchestra or piano ], Paris, Éd. Richault [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul-Jean-Jacques Lacôme d'Estalenx (1838 - 1920), "L'Ondine et le Pêcheur", op. 11 no. 3, published 1866 [ high voice, piano, and violin or violoncello ], from Trois Lieder avec accompagnement obligé de piano et de violoncelle ou violon, no. 3, Paris, Heugel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edmond Michotte (1831 - 1914), "L'Ondine et le Pêcheur", published 1879 [ high voice and piano ], Bruxelles, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Michael P Rosewall) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Peter Low) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2013-03-09
Line count: 40
Word count: 220
Every day, parting the reeds and the branches a fisherman comes and sits by the river where I live (for he has seen white forms slide beneath the water) and stays there, dreaming, from morning to dusk. The air trembles, the water sighs and seems to have a soul, a blue eye opens and shines in the hearts of the waterlilies, a fish metamorphoses into a woman's body with amorous arms and charming eyes. "Fisherman, follow me, I love you. You will be king of the waters with a coronet of irises and reeds! "You can descend through the green layer of rushes, you can dive without being frightened and join your mistress here. "An altar of piled-up stones is ready for our betrothal, a priest with scaly hands will come and marry us. "Fisherman, follow me, I love you. You will be king of the waters with a coronet of irises and reeds!" And already the fisherman has dipped a foot in the stream to follow the phantom with the fascinating gaze. The water murmurs, foams and deepens and closes over him, swirling. "Come, I want to kiss you with my bluish mouth, and with my alabaster arms embrace you, rock you, squeeze you! "Under the water, Love with his fire knows how to inflame me. I want to drink your soul with a kiss, so as to calm myself, and drain you!"
About the headline (FAQ)
Translation of title "L'Ondine et le Pêcheur" = "The Watersprite and the Fisherman"Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to French (Français) copyright © 2022 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872), "L'Ondine et le Pêcheur", written 1841, appears in Poésies diverses, poésies nouvelles et inédites, poésies posthumes, in Poésies diverses 1838-1845
This text was added to the website: 2022-04-20
Line count: 40
Word count: 234