by
Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955)
Le matin de notre première rencontre
Language: French (Français) after the Arabic (العربية)
Le matin de notre première rencontre,
c'est la main droite de ma bien-aimée
qui m'a envoyé, dans un salut gracieux,
son cœur et sa bouche.
Le soir de notre première rencontre,
c'est la main gauche de ma bien-aimée
qui a ouvert sa robe,
afin que mes baisers se posent sur ses seins.
Aussi, et pour tout ce que je leur dois encore,
chanterai-je les mains de ma bien-aimée...
Douleur ! ô douleur ! pourquoi te réveilles-tu ?
Amis, pardonnez-moi de renoncer à écrire ce poème !
J'avais oublié que ma bien-aimée est partie,
et qu'il me serait impossible de me rappeler autre chose
que ses mains sur ses yeux en larmes.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Franz Toussaint, Le hardin des caresses, 73e édition, Paris: L'édition d'art H. Piazza, 1921, pages 131-132.
Text Authorship:
Based on:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Piero Coppola (1888 - 1971), "Ses mains", published 1924 [ voice and piano or orchestra ], from Dix Poèmes Arabes extraits du Jardin des caresses de Franz Toussaint, no. 5, Paris : Ricordi [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alfred Cozanet (1870 - 1938), as Jean d'Udine, "Les mains", published 1929 [ high voice and piano ], from Sept poèmes arabes extraits du Jardin des Caresses de Franz Toussaint, no. 6, Paris, Éd. 'Au Ménestrel' Heugel [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Grant Hicks) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Grant Hicks
[Guest Editor] , Joost van der Linden
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2025-02-17
Line count: 15
Word count: 107
The morning of our first meeting
Language: English after the French (Français)
The morning of our first meeting,
it was my beloved's right hand
that delivered to me, in a graceful gesture,
her heart and her mouth.
The night of our first meeting,
it was my beloved's left hand
that opened her gown
so that my kisses might alight on her breasts.
Thus, and for all that I still owe them,
will I sing my beloved's hands ...
Sorrow! O sorrow! why do you awaken?
Friends, forgive me if I give up writing this poem!
I'd forgotten that my beloved has gone away,
and that I won't be able to remember anything else
but her hands over her tearful eyes.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of titles:
"Les mains" = "Hands"
"Ses mains" = "Her Hands"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2026 by Grant Hicks, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2026-02-26
Line count: 15
Word count: 107
