by Henri Francois-Joseph de Régnier (1864 - 1936)
Translation by Alma Strettell (1856 - 1939)
Chrysilla
Language: French (Français)
Lorsque l'heure viendra de la coupe remplie, Déesse, épargne-moi de voir à mon chevet Le Temps tardif couper, sans pleurs et sans regret. Le long fil importun d'une trop longue vie. Arme plutôt l'Amour ; hélas ! il m'a haïe Toujours et je sais trop que le cruel voudrait Déjà que de mon cœur, à son suprême trait. Coulât mon sang mortel sur la terre rougie. Mais non ! que vers le soir en riant m'apparaisse. [Silencieuse,]1 nue et belle, ma Jeunesse ! Qu'elle tienne une rose et l'effeuille dans l'eau ; J'écouterai l'adieu pleuré par la fontaine Et, sans qu'il soit besoin de flèches ni de faux. Je fermerai les yeux pour la nuit souterraine.
View original text (without footnotes)
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor] , Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]
Confirmed with Henri de Régnier, Les Médailles d'Argile. Poèmes, Dixième édition, Paris, Mercure de France, 1913, page 38.
1 omitted by Sorabji.Text Authorship:
- by Henri Francois-Joseph de Régnier (1864 - 1936), "Chrysilla", written 1900, appears in Les Médailles d'Argile, in 1. Médailles votives, no. 15, Paris, Éd. du Mercure de France, first published 1900 [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 P. E. Maton , "Chrysilla", published 1923 [ high voice and piano ], from Dix Mélodies pour Chant et Piano, no. 10, Paris, Éd. Maurice Senart [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ethel Mary Smyth, Dame (1858 - 1944), "Chrysilla", 1907, published 1908 [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and flute, harp, strings and percussion ], from Four Songs, no. 3, London : Novello & Co. Ltd., also set in English [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Kaikhosru Sorabji (1892 - 1988), "Chrysilla", op. 1 no. 1, KSS 2 (1915), published 2006, first performed 2002 [ voice and piano ], Bath: The Sorabji Archive [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.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Charles Hopkins) , "Chrysilla", written 2002, first published 2002, copyright © 2002, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Charles Hopkins) , "Chrysilla", written c2005, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor] , Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-07-01
Line count: 14
Word count: 111
Chrysilla
Language: English after the French (Français)
When the cup is filled full and my strength shall be failing, O Goddess, spare me the sight about my bed, Of regretting time that cuts too late the thread, Tearless ending, a life undesir’d, unavailing. Arm thou but Love instead! Of old upon my heart he wars; Full well I know that he were fain to dye the earth with cruel red, And see my life’s blood rain burst streaming from the wound Of his last, fiercest dart. Ah no! Let my lost youth with a smile, Then draw nigh me, in naked beauty standing silently by me, Letting fall one by one the soft petals of a rose. “Farewell” the fountain sobs, and calmly mine ear hearkens. What need of scythe or dart? Mine eyelids then will close, Sealed with a last long kiss as the shadow darkens.
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), "Chrysilla", written 1900, appears in Les Médailles d'Argile, in 1. Médailles votives, no. 15, Paris, Éd. du Mercure de France, first published 1900
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), "Chrysilla", 1907, published 1908 [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and flute, harp, strings and percussion ], from Four Songs, no. 3, 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: 14
Word count: 140