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by Louise de Vilmorin (1902 - 1969)

Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG GER
Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant
Doux comme un gant de peau glacée
Et mes prunelles effacées
Font de mes yeux des cailloux blancs.

Deux cailloux blancs dans mon visage
Dans le silence deux muets
Ombrés encore d'un secret
Et lourds du poids mort des images.

Mes doigts tant de fois égarés
Sont joints en attitude sainte
Appuyés au creux de mes plaintes
Au noeud de mon coeur arrêté.

Et mes deux pieds sont des montagnes,
Les deux derniers monts que j'ai vus
À la minute où j'ai perdu
La course que les années gagnent.

Mon souvenir est ressemblant,
Enfants emportez-le bien vite,
Allez, allez, ma vie est dite.
Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant.

Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.

Text Authorship:

  • by Louise de Vilmorin (1902 - 1969), "Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant", written 1939, appears in Fiançailles pour rire, no. 3, Paris, Éd. NRF Gallimard, first published 1939 [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 Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963), "Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant", FP 101 no. 4 (1939), first performed 1942 [ soprano and piano ], from Fiançailles pour rire, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • ENG English (Laura Claycomb) , "My cadaver is soft like a glove", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Ingrid Schmithüsen) , "Mein Leichnam ist zart wie ein Handschuh", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: John Burke

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 117

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