A Sentimental Theme | I saw you smile at me one evening

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by Émile Nelligan (1879 - 1941)

Translation © by Emily Ezust

Thème sentimental

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Chosen for Diff

Je t'ai vue un soir me sourire
Dans la planète des Bergers;
Tu descendais à pas légers
Du seuil d'un château de porphyre.

Et ton oeil de diamant rare
Eblouissait le règne astral.
Femme, depuis, par mont ou val,
Femme, beau marbre de Carrare.

Ta voix me hante en sons chargés
De mystère et fait mon martyre,
Car toujours je te vois sourire
Dans la planète des Bergers.

Text Authorship:

by Émile Nelligan (1879 - 1941), "Thème sentimental", appears in Amours d'élite [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 Jacques Hétu, OC (1938 - 2010), "Thème sentimental", op. 20 no. 1 (1972), published 1986, first performed 1973 [ medium voice and piano ], from Les Clartés de la nuit, no. 1, Québec, Éd. Yppan [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "A Sentimental Theme", copyright © 2026

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-12-13
Line count: 12
Word count: 68

A Sentimental Theme

Language: English after the French (Français)

Chosen for Diff

I saw you smile at me one evening
On the planet of the Shepherds;
You descended with light steps
From the threshold of a castle of porphyry.

And your rare diamond eye
Dazzled the astral realm.
Woman, ever since, over hill or valley,
Woman, beauteous Carrara marble.

Your voice haunts me with sounds charged
With mystery, and causes my suffering,
For I still see you smiling
On the planet of the Shepherds.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2026 by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive
For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
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Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Émile Nelligan (1879 - 1941), "Thème sentimental", appears in Amours d'élite
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-08-06
Line count: 12
Word count: 72