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Clere Venus, qui erres par les Cieus, Entens ma voix qui en pleins chantera, Tant que ta face au haut du Ciel luira, Son long travail et souci ennuieus. Mon œil veillant s’atendrira bien mieus, Et plus de pleurs te voyant gettera. Mieus mon lit mol de larmes baignera, De ses travaus voyant témoins tes yeus. Donq des humains sont les lassez esprits De dous repos et de sommeil espris. I’endure mal tant que le Soleil luit : Et quand ie suis quasi toute cassee, Et que me fuis mise en mon lit lassee, Crier me faut mon mal toute la nuit.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Œuvres de Louise Labé, texte établi par Charles Boy, Paris, Alphonse Lemerre, 1887, pages 95-96.
Modernized form of text:
Claire Vénus, qui erres par les Cieux, Entends ma voix qui en plaints chantera, Tant que ta face au haut du Ciel luira, Son long travail et souci ennuyeux. Mon œil veillant s'attendrira bien mieux, Et plus de pleurs te voyant jettera. Mieux mon lit mol de larmes baignera, De ses travaux voyant témoins tes yeux. Donc des humains sont les lassés esprits De doux repos et de sommeil épris. J'endure mal tant que le Soleil luit ; Et quand je suis quasi toute cassée, Et que me suis mise en mon lit lassée, Crier me faut mon mal toute la nuit.
Text Authorship:
- by Louise Labé (1526 - 1566), no title, written 1552, appears in Sonnets, no. 5 [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 Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley, Sir (1903 - 1989), "Sonnet", op. 102 (1982) [ high voice and piano ], modernized spelling [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Henri-Pierre Poupard (1901 - 1989), as Henri Sauguet, "À Vénus", 1927, published 1928 [ high voice and piano ], from Six sonnets de L. Labé, no. 2, Éd. Rouard Lerolle [sung text not yet checked]
- by Viktor Ullmann (1898 - 1944), "Clere Vénus", op. 34 no. 1, published 1941 [ soprano and piano ], from Six Sonnets de Louïze Labé, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926) , no title, appears in Die vierundzwanzig Sonette der Louize Labé, Lyoneserin : 1555, no. 5 ; composed by Hans Ganz, Walther Prokop, Konrad Rötscher.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (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: 2017-01-16
Line count: 14
Word count: 101
Radiant Venus, wanderer in the skies, hear my lamenting voice which will expound - as long as in the stars your face is found - my song of long distress and anxious cries. The sight of you will help my sleepless eyes more easily to melt and bathe my bed with more abundant flow of tears shed, since you are witness to my pangs and sighs. Now is the time when weary people rest and find sweet refuge in the arms of sleep. I suffer pain enough when the sun is strong; and when, utterly broken and depressed, I take myself to bed in a crumpled heap, then I must cry my heartache all night long.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English 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.
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Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Louise Labé (1526 - 1566), no title, written 1552, appears in Sonnets, no. 5
This text was added to the website: 2022-07-11
Line count: 14
Word count: 114