by Anne Hunter (1742 - 1821)
Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Recollection
Language: English 
Our translations:  DUT FRE
The season comes when first we met,
But you return no more.
Why cannot I the days forget,
Which time can ne'er restore?
O days too fair, too bright to last,
Are you indeed forever past?

The fleeting shadows of delight
In memory I trace;
In fancy stop their rapid flight
And all the past replace.
But ah! I wake to endless woes,
And tears the fading visions close.

Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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

  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Herinnering", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Souvenir", copyright © 2008, (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: 69

Souvenir
Language: French (Français)  after the English 
La saison de notre première rencontre revient,
Mais tu ne reviens plus.
Pourquoi ne puis-je oublier les jours,
Que le temps ne peut jamais faire revenir ?
O jours trop beaux, trop brillants pour durer,
Êtes-vous vraiment perdus à jamais ?

Les ombres fugaces du bonheur
Dans ma mémoire je les dessinent ;
J'imagine que j'arrête leur vol rapide
Et tout le passé reprend sa place.
Mais ah ! Je m'éveille avec des malheurs sans fin,
Et des larmes closent les visions qui s'effacent.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2008 by Guy Laffaille, (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: 

Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2008-04-08
Line count: 12
Word count: 80