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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 Le long de l'étang, parmi la saulaie Où la brume vague évoquait un grand Fantôme laiteux, et 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 en ses ondes blêmes Et des nénuphars parmi les roseaux, Des grands nénuphars sur les calmes eaux.
Authorship
- by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), "Promenade sentimentale", written 1866, appears in Poèmes saturniens, in Paysages tristes, no. 3, Paris, Édition Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1866 [author's text not yet checked 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 (1886 - 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.
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
Researcher for this text: Geoffrey Wieting
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 103
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.
Contact:
- a text in French (Français) by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), "Promenade sentimentale", written 1866, appears in Poèmes saturniens, in 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