Stanzas | Many a time, on my helmet and on my coat of mail

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by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955)

Translation © by Grant Hicks

Stances

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Bien des fois, sur mon casque et sur ma cotte de mailles, 
j'ai entendu, impassible, le choc des flèches et des sabres, 
mais je ne peux entendre, sans tressaillir, 
le bruissement léger de sa robe. 

Bien des fois, au plus fort des mêlées, 
j'ai entendu avec indifférence les fanfares de l'ennemi, 
mais je ne peux entendre, sans pleurer,
la musique de ses chansons. 

Bien des fois, d'une main ferme,
j'ai étanché le sang de mes blessures,
mais je ne peux regarder, sans trembler,
la rouge fleur de sa bouche. 

Bien des fois, en souriant,
j'ai défié des combattants redoutables, 
mais toute la vie de mon corps s'arrête,
quand elle m'ouvre ses bras dans l'ombre.

Confirmed with Franz Toussaint, Le jardin des caresses, L'édition d'Art H. Piazza, p.116

Text Authorship:

by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955), "Stances", appears in Le jardin des caresses, no. 122 [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 Irène Fuerison (1875 - 1931), "Stances", op. 93 no. 5, published 2020, copyright © 1926 [ voice and piano ], from Le jardin des caresses, no. 5, Höflich, München [sung text not yet checked]

Research team for this page: Grant Hicks [Guest Editor] , Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2023-05-24
Line count: 16
Word count: 114

Stanzas

Language: English after the French (Français)

Many a time, on my helmet and on my coat of mail
have I heard, unmoved, the impact of arrows and sabers,
but I cannot hear, without a thrill,
the light rustling of her robe.

Many a time, in the most strenuous of battles,
have I heard with indifference the fanfares of the enemy,
but I cannot hear, without weeping,
the music of her singing.

Many a time, with a steady hand,
have I stanched the blood of my wounds,
but I cannot look, without trembling,
at the red flower of her mouth.

Many a time, with a smile, 
have I faced formidable combatants, 
but all the life of my body comes to a halt 
when she opens her arms to me in the shadows.

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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Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955), "Stances", appears in Le jardin des caresses, no. 122
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-04-16
Line count: 16
Word count: 125