by (Paul) Jules Barbier (1825 - 1901) and by Michel Carré (1822 - 1872)
Translation © by Laura L. Nagle

Connais‑tu le pays où fleurit l'oranger?
Language: French (Français)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Connais-tu le pays où fleurit l'oranger? 
Le pays des fruits d'or et des roses vermeilles,
Où la brise est plus douce et l'oiseau plus léger,
Où dans toute saison butinent les abeilles,
Où rayonne et sourit, comme un bienfait de Dieu,
Un éternel printemps sous un ciel toujours bleu! 
Hélas! Que ne puis-je te suivre
Vers ce rivage heureux d'où le sort m'exila! 
C'est là! C'est là que je voudrais vivre,
Aimer, aimer et mourir! 
C'est là que je voudrais vivre, c'est là, 
oui, c'est là! 

Connais-tu la maison où l'on m'attend là-bas? 
La salle aux lambris d'or, où des hommes de marbre
M'appellent dans la nuit en me tendant les bras? 
Et la cour où l'on danse à l'ombre d'un grand arbre? 
Et le lac transparent où glissent sur les eaux
Mille bateaux légers pareils à des oiseaux? 
Hélas! Que ne puis-je te suivre
Vers ce pays lointain d'où le sort m'exila! 
C'est là! C'est là que je voudrais vivre,
Aimer, aimer et mourir! 
C'est là que je voudrais vivre, c'est là, 
oui, c'est là!

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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):

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

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

  • ENG English (Laura L. Nagle) , "Do you know the land", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Paul Cadrin

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-10
Line count: 24
Word count: 176

Do you know the land
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
Do you know the land where the orange tree blossoms?
The country of golden fruits and marvelous roses,
Where the breeze is softer and birds lighter,
Where bees gather pollen in every season,
And where shines and smiles, like a gift from God,
An eternal springtime under an ever-blue sky!
Alas! but I cannot follow you
To that happy shore from which fate has exiled me!
There! It is there that I should like to live,
To love, to love, and to die!
It is there that I should like to live, it is there,
yes, there!

Do you know the house there where I am awaited? 
The gold-panelled room where men made of marble
Call to me at night, reaching their arms out to me?
And the courtyard where people dance in the shadow of a great tree?
And the lake upon whose limpid waters
A thousand light boats glide like birds?
Alas! but I cannot follow you
To that distant land from which fate has exiled me!
There! It is there that I should like to live,
To love, to love, and to die!
It is there that I should like to live, it is there, 
yes, there!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2007 by Laura L. Nagle, (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:

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This text was added to the website: 2007-01-15
Line count: 24
Word count: 200