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 licenses@email.lieder.example.net
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.
Partons en barque sur la mer Pour passer la nuit aux étoiles. Vois, il souffle juste assez d'air Pour [gonfler]1 la toile des voiles. Le vieux pêcheur italien Et ses deux fils qui nous conduisent, Écoutent, mais n'entendent rien Aux mots que nos bouches se disent. Sur la mer calme et sombre, vois : Nous [pouvons]2 échanger nos âmes, Et nul ne comprendra nos voix Que la nuit, le [ciel et les]3 lames.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotes1 Chausson: "enfler"
2 Widor: "pourrons"
3 Widor: "ciel, les"
Text Authorship:
- by Paul Bourget (1852 - 1935), "Sérénade italienne", written 1875, appears in La vie inquiète, in 4. La vie inquiète, in Vers le Levant (later editions: "Souvenirs du Levant"), no. 8, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1875 [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 Otto Bouwens van der Boijen (1872 - 1922), "Sérénade italienne", op. 14 no. 3, published 1909 [ vocal duet with piano ], from Aquarelles, trois duos pour soprano et ténor, no. 3, Éd. Bouwens van der Boijen & Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louis Brisset (1872 - 1939), "Sérénade italienne" [ baritone or mezzo-soprano and piano ], Éditions E. Demets [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernest Amédée Chausson (1855 - 1899), "Sérénade italienne", op. 2 (Sept mélodies) no. 5, published 1883 [ voice and piano ], Paris, J. Hamelle [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ernest Moret (1871 - 1949), "Sérénade italienne", published 1921 [ high voice and piano ], from Poème d'une heure, poésies de Paul Bourget, no. 2, Paris, Éd. 'Au Ménestrel' Heugel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Paray (1886 - 1979), "Nuit d'Italie", 1910 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Marie Jean Albert Widor (1844 - 1937), "Sérénade italienne", op. 75 no. 3, published 1902 [ high voice and piano ], from Chansons de Mer, no. 3, Paris, Éd. Heugel [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Vlašská serenáda", Prague, first published 1893
- ENG English (Peter Low) , "Italian serenade", copyright © 2000, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 75
Let's go out in a boat on the sea to spend the night under the stars. Look, it's blowing just enough breeze to swell the canvas of the sails. The old Italian fisherman and his two sons, who sail us out, hear but understand nothing of the words we say to each other. On the calm dark sea, look! we can exchange our souls, and our voices will not be understood except by the night, the sky and the waves.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2000 by Peter Low, (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 Paul Bourget (1852 - 1935), "Sérénade italienne", written 1875, appears in La vie inquiète, in 4. La vie inquiète, in Vers le Levant (later editions: "Souvenirs du Levant"), no. 8, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1875
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 80