by Charles Péguy (1873 - 1914)
Translation Singable translation by E. Adelaide Hahn (1893 - 1967)

Mère, voici vos fils
Language: French (Français) 
Mère, voici vos fils et leur immense armée.
Qu'ils ne soient pas jugés sur leur seule misère.
Que Dieu mette avec eux un peu de cette terre
Qui les a tant perdus et qu'ils ont tant aimée.
Que Dieu mette avec eux dans le juste plateau
Ce qu'ils ont tant aimé, quelques grammes de terre,
Un peu de cette vigne, un peu de ce coteau,
Un peu de ce ravin sauvage et solitaire.
Mère, voyez vos fils qui se sont tant battus.
Vous les voyez couchés parmi les nations.
Que Dieu ménage un peu ces êtres débattus.
Ces coeurs pleins de tristesse et d'hésitation.

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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, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English [singable] (E. Adelaide Hahn) , title 1: "Mother, behold your sons"


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-07-02
Line count: 12
Word count: 104

Mother, behold your sons
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
Mother, behold your sons who with the host have perished.
O be their judgment not based on sorrows that tried them.
May God grant them a bit of that dear earth beside them
That wrought them so much woe and that so much they cherished.
May God grant them a bit of that earth that could fill
Their hearts with so much love, sev'ral grains of earth only,
A little of that vineyard, a little of that hill,
A little of that deep ravine so wild and lonely.
Mother, behold your sons who fought so hard a fight,
Whom lying now at rest among the tribes you see.
God grant a little mercy to their sorry plight,
Their hearts so filled with grief and with uncertainty.

From the Talma score.

Text Authorship:

Based on:

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

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-07-02
Line count: 12
Word count: 126