On arrange et on compose
Language: French (Français)
On arrange et on compose
les mots de tant de façons,
mais comment arriverait-on
à égaler une rose ?
Si on supporte l'étrange
prétention de ce jeu,
c'est que, parfois, un ange
le dérange un peu.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with The Complete French Poems of Rainer Maria Rilke, Saint Paul: Greywolf Press, 1986, Page 202.
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Jean Philippe Dartois , "La rose", 2017 [ voice and piano ], from Vergers, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Hindemith (1895 - 1963), "On arrange et on compose", published 1999 [ voice and piano ], Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Philippe Mazé (b. 1954), "... égaler une rose ?", 1999 [ women's chorus ], from 6 Poèmes de Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 4, Artchipel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Joop Voorn (1932 - 2021), "On arrange et on compose", 2011, published 2014, copyright © 2014 [ soprano and clarinet ], from Vues des anges, no. 6, Rijswijk, the Netherlands : Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Grant Hicks) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust
[Administrator] , Grant Hicks
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2013-10-01
Line count: 8
Word count: 35
One arranges and composes
Language: English after the French (Français)
One arranges and composes
words in so many ways,
but how would one ever contrive
to equal a rose?
If one keeps up the strange
pretention of this game,
it's because sometimes an angel
deranges him a bit.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of titles:
"La rose" = "The Rose"
"On arrange et on compose" = "One Arranges and Composes"
"... égaler une rose ?" = "... To equal a rose?"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2025 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:
This text was added to the website: 2025-08-31
Line count: 8
Word count: 38
