by Henri Francois-Joseph de Régnier (1864 - 1936)
Translation Singable translation by Alma Strettell (1856 - 1939)
Si j'avais mieux connu mon amour, si...
Language: French (Français)
Si j'avais mieux connu mon amour, si j'avais mieux Connu ma vie Si j'avais mieux Su mes pensées, Je n'aurais pas lié ma vie À tes pensées Et à tes jours, Je n'aurais pas mêlé ta vie À mon amour ! Offre-t-on à qui l'on aime La fleur épineuse où les doigts saignent ? Mène-t-on boire à la fontaine Qu'on sait amère ? Donne-t-on à filer aux belles mains Faites pour tisser de la joie Le chanvre dur et la grasse laine Des filandières ? Te voici debout dans ma vie Au carrefour de mes chemins ; La source est à tes pieds ; la rose ploie Sa tige dangereuse. Tu l'as cueillie ; Et la quenouille des destins Est-elle si peu lourde de fils incertains Que tu souries D'être seule dans mon amour Et de l'avoir pris par la main ?
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Henri de Régnier, Les Médailles d’argile, Paris, Société du Mercure de France, 1903 (4e éd.), pages 181-182.
Text Authorship:
- by Henri Francois-Joseph de Régnier (1864 - 1936), "Odelette", appears in Les Médailles d'Argile, in 6. À travers l'an, no. 7 [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 Germaine de Jouvenel (1882 - 1964), as Guy Sargé, "Odelette I", published 1922 [ voice and piano ], from Mélodies, no. 2, Paris : Maxime Jamin [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jacques Guillaume de Sauville de la Presle (1888 - 1969), "Odelette", 1913 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ethel Mary Smyth, Dame (1858 - 1944), "Odelette", 1907, published 1908 [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and flute, harp, strings and percussion ], from Four Songs, no. 1, London : Novello & Co. Ltd., also set in English [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Alma Strettell (1856 - 1939) ; composed by Ethel Mary Smyth, Dame.
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-07-01
Line count: 26
Word count: 135
Odelette
Language: English after the French (Français)
Had I but known the way of my love, Seen in what paths my life must move, Guessed what my thought held unrevealed, My life had ne’re been linked to thine, To these thy thoughts, to these thy ways, I ne’er had will’d with thine to blend Such love as mine. Shall we, then, give our beloved Flowers set with thorns sharpened to tear? Wantonly show streams that are bitter, To them that thirst? Shall we for spinning give to gentle hands Fashioned for the weaving of joy, The rugged hemp, the wool uncleansed, Fitter for toilers? Yet behold, on the path thou standest before me, Where in my life the crossways meet. The brook is at thy feet; here droops a rose, her stem is danger-laden! Yet hast thou culled it! Doth then the distaff borne by Fate Be heavy with the burden of life’s uncertain thread, Yet canst thou smile thus enthroned, Thus alone enthroned in my heart, Thy hand clasping fearlessly mine?1
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Smythe adds:
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
1 Smythe adds:
Yet canst thou smile, Thus alone enthroned within my heart! Had I but known the way of my love, I ne’er had linked my love to thine, Nor, too, my days to my thoughts. Had I but seen, seen my path, Had I known, known my love.
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation by Alma Strettell (1856 - 1939) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Henri Francois-Joseph de Régnier (1864 - 1936), "Odelette", appears in Les Médailles d'Argile, in 6. À travers l'an, no. 7
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Ethel Mary Smyth, Dame (1858 - 1944), "Odelette", 1907, published 1908 [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and flute, harp, strings and percussion ], from Four Songs, no. 1, London : Novello & Co. Ltd., also set in French (Français) [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2023-12-31
Line count: 26
Word count: 165