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
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.
Quand ton sourire me surprit, Je sentis frémir tout mon être, Mais ce qui domptait nous esprit, Je ne pus d'abord le connaître. Quand ton regard tomba sur moi, Je sentis mon âme se fondre ; Mais ce que serait cet émoi, Je ne pus d'abord en répondre. Ce qui me vainquit à jamais, Ce fut un plus douloureux charme, Et je n'ai su que je t'aimais Qu'en voyant ta première larme !
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Poésies de Armand Silvestre, 1872-1878. La Chanson des Heures, Paris, Alphonse Lemerre, 1887, page 188.
Authorship:
- by Armand Silvestre (1837 - 1901), "Pour une voix", appears in La chanson des heures, poésies nouvelles 1874-1878, in 6. Vers pour être chantés, in 12. Madrigaux dans le goût ancien, no. 11, Paris, Éd. G. Charpentier, first published 1878 [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 Hendrik Andriessen (1892 - 1981), "Quand ton sourire me surprit", 1916 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernest Amédée Chausson (1855 - 1899), "Le charme", op. 2 (Sept mélodies) no. 2, published 1883 [ voice and piano ], Paris, J. Hamelle [sung text checked 1 time]
- by René Defossez (1905 - 1988), "La première larme", 1945 [ high voice and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Joseph Jongen (1873 - 1953), "Quand ton sourire me surprit", op. 29 no. ? (1906), published 1913 [ medium voice and piano ], Éd. Maurice Sénart [sung text not yet checked]
- by Federico Longás (1893 - 1968), "Quand ton sourire me surprit", published 1919 [ medium voice and piano ], from Once Lieders, no. 9, Barcelona, Joaquin Mora; note: the score erroneously attributes the poem to Verlaine [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gabriel Robert , "Quand ton sourire me surprit", op. 32 (Quatre mélodies avec accompagnement de piano) no. 4, published 1911 [ medium voice and piano ], Paris, Éd. Costallat [sung text not yet checked]
- by Sebastian Benson Schlesinger (1837 - 1917), "La première larme", op. 76 no. 2 [ high voice and piano ], A. Quinzard [sung text not yet checked]
- by Cayetano Troiani (1873 - 1942), "Quand ton sourire", published 1923 [ voice and piano ], from Douze Mélodies, no. 4, G. Ricordi e C. [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Thomas A. Gregg) , "When your smile surprised me", copyright ©, (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: 12
Word count: 73
When your smile surprised me, I felt a shudder through my entire being, But what tamed my spirit, At first I did not recognize. When your glance fell on me, I felt my soul melt, But what that emotion was, At first I could not answer it. What conquered me forever, That was a charm more sad, And I did not know that I loved you, Until I saw your first tear.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © by Thomas A. Gregg, (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:
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Armand Silvestre (1837 - 1901), "Pour une voix", appears in La chanson des heures, poésies nouvelles 1874-1878, in 6. Vers pour être chantés, in 12. Madrigaux dans le goût ancien, no. 11, Paris, Éd. G. Charpentier, first published 1878
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 73