Three beautiful birds of paradise | Three beautiful birds of paradise

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by Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937)

Translation © by Judith Kellock

Trois beaux oiseaux du Paradis

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG GER ITA

Trois beaux oiseaux du Paradis
Mon ami z-il est à la guerre
Trois beaux oiseaux du Paradis
Ont passé par ici.

Le premier était plus bleu que le ciel,
(Mon ami z-il est à la guerre)
Le second était couleur de neige,
Le troisième rouge vermeil.

"Beaux oiselets du Paradis,
(Mon ami z-il est à la guerre)
Beaux oiselets du Paradis,
Qu'apportez par ici?"

"J'apporte un regard couleur d'azur
(Ton ami z-il est à la guerre)"
"Et moi, sur beau front couleur de neige,
Un baiser dois mettre, encore plus pur."

Oiseau vermeil du Paradis,
(Mon ami z-il est à la guerre)
Oiseau vermeil du Paradis,
Que portez vous ainsi?

"Un joli coeur tout cramoisi"
Ton ami z-il est à la guerre
"Ha! je sens mon coeur qui froidit...
Emportez le aussi."

Text Authorship:

by Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937)

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

by Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937), "Trois beaux oiseaux du Paradis", M. 69 no. 2 (1914-1915), published 1916 [ SATB chorus ], from Trois chansons, no. 2, Éd. Durand [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Judith Kellock) , "Three beautiful birds of paradise", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Drei schöne Vögel aus dem Paradies", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Paolo Montanari) , "Tre begli uccelli del Paradiso", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Auditorium du Louvre

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 132

Three beautiful birds of paradise

Language: English after the French (Français)

Three beautiful birds of paradise
(My love is gone to the war)
Three beautiful birds of paradise
Have passed this way.

The first was bluer than the sky
(My love has gone to the war)
The second was the color of snow
The third was red as vermillion.

"Beautiful little birds of paradise
(My love has gone to the war)
Beautiful little birds of paradise
What do you bring here?"

"I carry an azure glance
(Your love has gone to the war)
And I must leave on a snow-white brow
A kiss, even purer."

"You red bird of paradise
(My love has gone to the war)
You red bird of paradise
What are you bringing me?"

"A loving heart, flushing crimson."
(Your love has gone to the war)
"Ah, I feel my heart growing cold . . .
Take that with you as well."

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2006 by Judith Kellock, (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:

a text in French (Français) by Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2006-03-01
Line count: 24
Word count: 144