He sleeps on, with one hand on his lyre!

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by Théodore Faullin de Banville (1823 - 1891)

Translation © by Peter Low

Il dort encore une main sur la lyre !

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Il dort encore une main sur la lyre !
Il ne verrait ni mon triste délire
Ni ces longs pleurs qui tombent de mes yeux.
Charmeur divin, tandis que tu sommeilles.
Autour de toi voltigent les abeilles.
Le doux poëte est l'envoyé des Dieux !
La blanche étoile errante aux cieux t'adore.
Ferme tes yeux ravis, sommeille encore,
Anacréon, chanteur mélodieux.
Tandis que fuit la nuit enchanteresse,
Qu'un rythme heureux te berce et te caresse.
Le doux poëte est l'envoyé des Dieux !

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Théodore Faullin de Banville (1823 - 1891), no title, written 1880, appears in Hymnis, comédie lyrique en un acte, Paris, Éd. Tresse, first published 1880 [author's text not yet checked 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 Claude Achille Debussy (1862 - 1918), "Il dort encore", L. 34/(37) (1882) [ high voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Peter Low) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Geoffrey Wieting

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 81

He sleeps on, with one hand on his lyre!

Language: English after the French (Français)

He sleeps on, with one hand on his lyre!
He will not see my sad delirium
or these great tears that fall from my eyes.
Oh divine charmer, while you slumber,
the bees are flying around you.
The gentle poet is the messenger of the Gods!
The white star wandering in the sky adores you.
Close your delighted eyes, sleep on,
Anacreon, melodious singer.
While the enchanting night draws to its close,
may a happy rhythm rock and caress you.
The gentle poet is the messenger of the Gods!

About the headline (FAQ)

Translation of title "Il dort encore" = "He sleeps on"

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2025 by Peter Low, (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.
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Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Théodore Faullin de Banville (1823 - 1891), no title, written 1880, appears in Hymnis, comédie lyrique en un acte, Paris, Éd. Tresse, first published 1880
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-04-21
Line count: 12
Word count: 89