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by Henri Francois-Joseph de Régnier (1864 - 1936)
Translation by Alma Strettell (1856 - 1939)

La Danse
Language: French (Français) 
Tu danses. Ce beau soir est triste autour de toi.
Les cyprès et les pins, seuls, sont verts dans le bois
Qui mêle aux bouleaux l’orme et les hêtres au frêne
Leurs feuillages déjà par l’automne deviennent
Rouges d’un peu de poupre et fauves d’un peu d’or.
Tu danses. On dirait, à te voir, voir encor
L’été voluptueux étirer sa paresse
Onduleuse, quand, les yeux mi-clos, tu te dresses
Comme si tu voulais de tes deux bras levés
Arrêter au passage un songe inachevé
Vers lequel, tour à tour, tu te tournes, cherchant
Sa bouche amère ou douce en fuite dans le vent.
Tu danses ; et toujours, silencieuse et vive.
Tu poursuis à jamais ce qui toujours s’esquive.
C’est l’automne déjà et les cyprès sont verts ;
Et, sous un pin, assis, à tes rythmes divers
Ma flûte obéissante et fidèle longtemps
Hésite. Tu es lasse et ta danse m’attend
Incertaine, tandis qu’à tes pieds tourne encor
Un vol faible et léger de molles feuilles d’or.

Confirmed with Henri de Régnier, Les Médailles d’argile, Société du Mercure de France, 1903 (4e éd.), page 30.


Text Authorship:

  • by Henri Francois-Joseph de Régnier (1864 - 1936), "La Danse", appears in Les Médailles d'Argile, in 1. Médailles votives, no. 9 [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 Ethel Mary Smyth, Dame (1858 - 1944), "La Danse", 1907, published 1908 [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and flute, harp, strings and percussion ], from Four Songs, no. 2, 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.
      • Go to the text.

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2009-07-01
Line count: 20
Word count: 165

The Dance
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
Thou dancest, gentle evening spreads sadly it’s shade,
The Cypress and Pine alone are green in the glade,
Where Birch weds with Elm and the Ash with the Beeches,
Crimsoned bravely by Autumn as far as eye reaches,
And flecked with purple and gold from her store.
Thou dancest, and me thinks ’tis the summer once more,
Voluptuous a-glow in her indolent wantonness playing!
Eyes half closed on tip-toe a-swaying
Thou upliftest both arms to catch as would seem,
And embrace e’er it fade some half finish’d dream, some fading half-finish’d dream.
T’ward those lips, step by step, thou dost turn thee,
Seeking the kiss that bitter or sweet, flies past thee on the wind.
Thou dancest, gliding silently and swiftly by,
Still pursuing a dream, that ever more doth fly.
Green is the Cypress yet not suffers Autumn change,
As ’neath this pine I sit and thy rhythms so strange
My flute, so long obedient and faithful, pauses and falters.
Thou art weary, thy dance on my song waits doubting, thy dance waits doubting, 
While yet around my feet on the mound, the leaves circle and dance, soft leaves of flutt’ring gold.
While yet on my feet on the mound, soft leaves flutter and dance, soft leaves of circling gold.

Text Authorship:

  • 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), "La Danse", appears in Les Médailles d'Argile, in 1. Médailles votives, no. 9
    • Go to the text page.

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), "The Dance", 1907, published 1908 [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and flute, harp, strings and percussion ], from Four Songs, no. 2, 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: 20
Word count: 211

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