It springs from a pool tiled with lily pads

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by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955)

Translation © by Grant Hicks

Il jaillit d'un bassin pavé de nénuphars

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Il jaillit d'un bassin pavé de nénuphars, 
et son gonfanon irisé rallie, le soir, les coulombes. 
Quelquefois, le vent lui arrache une poussière fraiche, 
qui tourbillonne jusqu'à notre banc. 
Alors, seulement, je fais entendre à ma bien-aimée
mes éternels reproches. 
Et si ma bien-aimée vient à essuyer ses yeux, 
je maudis la poussière du jet d'eau.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Franz Toussaint, Le jardin des caresses, Paris: H. Piazza, 1921, pages 118-119.

Text Authorship:

by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955), "La poussière du jet d'eau" [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 Pierre Giriat (1886 - 1979), "Il jaillit d'un bassin...", op. 4 no. 3, copyright © 1925 [ voice and piano ], from Trois Poèmes de Franz Toussaint, no. 3, Paris : Rouart, Lerolle [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: 2026-02-22
Line count: 8
Word count: 56

It springs from a pool tiled with lily...

Language: English after the French (Français)

It springs from a pool tiled with lily pads, 
And its iridescent banner rallies the doves in the evening. 
Sometimes the wind snatches from it a cool spray 
that swirls all the way to our bench.
Only then do I let my beloved hear
my unending reproaches.
And if my beloved happens to wipe her eyes, 
I curse the spray from the fountain.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of titles:
"Il jaillit d'un bassin..." = "It springs from a pool"
"La poussière du jet d'eau" = "The spray from the fountain"

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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955), "La poussière du jet d'eau"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-03-18
Line count: 8
Word count: 63