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Le couchant dardait ses rayons suprêmes Et le vent berçait les nénuphars blêmes ; Les grands nénuphars entre les roseaux Tristement luisaient sur les calmes eaux. Moi j'errais tout seul, promenant ma plaie [Au]1 long de l'étang, parmi la saulaie Où la brume vague évoquait un grand Fantôme laiteux [se]2 désespérant Et pleurant avec la voix des sarcelles Qui se rappelaient en battant des ailes Parmi la saulaie où j'errais tout seul Promenant ma plaie ; et l'épais linceul Des ténèbres vint noyer les suprêmes Rayons du couchant [dans]3 ses ondes blêmes Et des nénuphars, parmi les roseaux, Des grands nénuphars sur les calmes eaux.
Confirmed with Paul Verlaine, Poëmes saturniens, Paris: Alphonse Lemerre, 1866, in Paysages tristes, pages 51-52.
1 Vierne: "Le"2 Vierne: "et"
3 Vierne: "en"
Authorship:
- by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), "Promenade sentimentale", written 1866, appears in Poèmes saturniens, in 3. Paysages tristes, no. 3, Paris, Édition 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 Charles Bordes (1863 - 1909), "Promenade sentimentale", 1886, published 1902 [ voice and piano ], from Paysages tristes, no. 4, Paris, Mergault ; later published by Hamelle in 1912 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Raoul Gradis (1861 - 1943), "Promenade sentimentale", published 1897 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Thomas Alexandrovitch de Hartmann (1885 - 1956), "Promenade sentimentale", op. 69 no. 3, published 1941 [ voice and piano ], from Paysages tristes, no. 3, Paris, Hawkes [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henry de Marliave , "Promenade sentimentale" [ voice and piano ], Paris, H. Marliave [sung text not yet checked]
- by Klaus Miehling , "Promenade sentimentale", op. 57 no. 3 (1995), published 2001 [ SATT chorus ], from Sieben Chansons zu vier Stimmen nach Texten von Paul Verlaine, no. 3, Goldbach [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louis Vierne (1870 - 1937), "Promenade sentimentale", op. 38 no. 4 (1916), published 1924 [ medium voice and piano or orchestra ], from Spleens et Détresses, no. 4, Paris, Salabert [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Aleksandra Andreyevna Kublitskaya-Piotukh, née Beketova (1860 - 1923) ; composed by Ivan Ivanovich Kryzhanovsky.
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Aleksandr Matveyevich Zhitomirsky.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Corinne Orde) , "Sentimental stroll", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Bergen Weeks Applegate) , "Promenade Sentimental", appears in Poems Saturnine, in 3. Somber Landscapes, no. 3
Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Geoffrey Wieting , Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 105
The setting sun beamed its last rays And the wind rocked the pale water-lilies. The large water-lilies among the reeds Sadly glistened on the calm waters. Me, I wandered alone, taking my wound with me Along the lake, among the willows Where the vague mist conjured up A great milky ghost, and despairing, And tearfully crying with the voice of the teals That called one another while beating their wings Among the willows where I wandered alone, Taking my wound with me; and the thick shroud Of darkness drowned the last Rays of the setting sun in the blanched waves And the water-lilies among the reeds, The large water-lilies on the calm waters.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2008 by Corinne Orde, (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:
- a text in French (Français) by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), "Promenade sentimentale", written 1866, appears in Poèmes saturniens, in 3. Paysages tristes, no. 3, Paris, Édition Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1866
This text was added to the website: 2008-01-16
Line count: 16
Word count: 113