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by Marceline Desbordes-Valmore (1786 - 1859)
Translation Singable translation by Johann Daniel Anton (1801 - 1853)

Sois libre, je t’oublie
Language: French (Français) 
Sois libre, je t’oublie ;
Ne me plains pas toujours !
De ma mélancolie
Je détache tes jours.
L’amour charme, il entraîne ;
Mais il faut aimer deux ;
Qu’une autre te l’apprenne :
Sois libre, sois heureux !

Changer est donc possible !
Oui, je change à mon tour.
De me rendre insensible
J’ai tant prié l’amour !
Il défait son ouvrage ;
Cet effort fut affreux…
Ah ! pour tant de courage,
Sois libre, sois heureux !

Si ton nom, dont la gloire
Me parla tant de fois,
Rapporte à ma mémoire
Et tes traits et ta voix,
Il aura mon sourire,
Peut-être douloureux ;
Qu’importe !… il voudra dire :
Sois libre, sois heureux !

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Les pleurs ; poésies nouvelles par Madame Desbordes Valmore, 2me édition. Paris, 1834.


Text Authorship:

  • by Marceline Desbordes-Valmore (1786 - 1859), "Ne me plains pas !", appears in Les Pleurs [formerly Le Mémorial de la Scarpe], no. 20, first published 1833 [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 Joseph Ghys (1801 - 1848), "Sois libre, je t'oublie !", published 1839 [ high voice and piano ], in Le Ménestrel, journal de musique, July 14, 1839, no. 293 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Nicolas Louis (1807 - 1857) and by Matteo Carcassi (1792 - 1853), "Sois libre, sois heureux", published c1840 [ mezzo-soprano or tenor and guitar ], Paris, Éd. Delahante, successeur de Mlles Erard; melody by Louis and guitar part by Carcassi [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Andreas Spaeth (1790 - 1876), "Ne me plains pas !" [ voice and piano ], from Vier französische Romanzen, no. 1, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Johann Daniel Anton (1801 - 1853) ; composed by Andreas Spaeth.
    • Go to the text.

Researcher for this page: Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2024-02-10
Line count: 24
Word count: 104

Sei frei, ich kann vergessen
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the French (Français) 
Sei frei, ich kann vergessen,
auch magst du lange nicht
mein tiefes Leid ermessen,
ich entbinde dich der Pflicht.
Liebe stammt aus Himmelsfernen,
treue Herzen sie entzückt;
mögst du sie kennenlernen!
Sei frei nun, sei beglückt!

Der Wechsel kann geschehen,
und ihm weih' ich mein Herz,
ja, zu Amor will ich flehen,
zu heilen meinen Schmerz.
Er entlaste meine Tage
von dem Eid, der sie drückt!
Mut, nur Mut! Schweige, Klage!
Sei frei nun, sei beglückt!

Wenn dein Name, so teuer,
diese Brust mir erfüllt,
erwacht erlöschend Feuer
durch dein süßes Zauberbild.
Lächeln werd' ich dann in Klagen,
doch eh' es mich berückt,
will ich noch mutig sagen:
Sei frei nun, sei beglückt!

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation by Johann Daniel Anton (1801 - 1853) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in French (Français) by Marceline Desbordes-Valmore (1786 - 1859), "Ne me plains pas !", appears in Les Pleurs [formerly Le Mémorial de la Scarpe], no. 20, first published 1833
    • 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 Andreas Spaeth (1790 - 1876), "Sei frei, ich kann vergessen" [ voice and piano ], from Vier französische Romanzen, no. 1, also set in French (Français) [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this page: Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2024-02-10
Line count: 24
Word count: 113

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