by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955)
Translation © by Grant Hicks

Ma Robe
Language: French (Français)  after the Chinese (中文) 
Our translations:  ENG
Ma robe date d'une époque où vivait un roi de la dynastie des Tchinn.
Tant de jolies femmes l'ont mise, pour danser, 
que ses plis en gardent une sinuosité harmonieuse,
et tant de brises l'ont frôlée,
qu'elle est diaphane comme une aile de papillon.

Confirmed with Franz Toussaint, La flûte de jade, Paris: H. Piazza, 1926, page 43.


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Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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  • ENG English (Grant Hicks) , "My Robe", 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: 2025-02-19
Line count: 5
Word count: 44

My Robe
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
My robe comes from a time when there lived a king of the Chin dynasty. 
So many pretty women have worn it to dance in, 
that its folds retain a harmonious sinuosity, 
and so many breezes have brushed by it, 
that it is as diaphanous as a butterfly's wing.

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.
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This text was added to the website: 2026-04-26
Line count: 5
Word count: 49