Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
On respire du sel dans l’air, Et la plantureuse campagne Trempe sa robe dans la mer, À Douarnenez en Bretagne. À Douarnenez en Bretagne, Les enfants rôdent par troupeaux ; Ils ont les pieds fins, les yeux beaux, Et sainte Anne les accompagne. Les vareuses sont en haillons, Mais le flux roule sa montagne En y berçant des papillons, À Douarnenez en Bretagne. À Douarnenez en Bretagne, Quand les pêcheurs vont de l’avant, Les voiles brunes fuient au vent Comme hirondelles en campagne. Les aïeux n’y sont point trahis ; Le cœur des filles ne se gagne Que dans la langue du pays, À Douarnenez en Bretagne.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by René-François Sully-Prudhomme (1839 - 1907), "À Douarnenez en Bretagne", written c1865, appears in Stances et Poèmes, in 1. Stances, in 4. Mélanges, no. 10, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1866 [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 Hélène Covatti-Dussaut (1910 - 2005), "Marine", published 2017 [ high voice and piano ], from Daphné, pour chant et piano, no. 2, Clichy, Éd. Musicales Artchipel [sung text checked 1 time]
- by (François-Clément) Théodore Dubois (1837 - 1924), "À Douarnenez en Bretagne" [ medium voice and piano ], from Vingt mélodies, recueil 1, no. 2, Paris, Éd. Heugel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henri Marteau (1874 - 1934), "À Douarnenez en Bretagne", op. 19b no. 2 (c1917) [ voice and piano ], from Huit Mélodies pour chant avec accompagnement de piano, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Michael Berridge) , "At Douarnenez in Brittany", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2015-06-27
Line count: 20
Word count: 107
You breathe the salt in the air, and the lush countryside runs down to the sea, at Douarnenez in Brittany. At Douarnenez in Brittany, the children roam about in bunches; they have graceful feet, lovely eyes, and St Anne goes with them. Their jackets are ragged, but the tide rolls in as the butterflies dance at Douarnenez in Brittany. At Douarnenez in Brittany, when the fishermen put out to sea the brown sails fly with the wind like swallows in summer. The elders are truly honoured; a girl’s heart is won only in the language of the place, at Douarnenez in Brittany.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © by Michael Berridge, (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:
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by René-François Sully-Prudhomme (1839 - 1907), "À Douarnenez en Bretagne", written c1865, appears in Stances et Poèmes, in 1. Stances, in 4. Mélanges, no. 10, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1866
This text was added to the website: 2020-01-11
Line count: 20
Word count: 102