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by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955)
Translation © by Grant Hicks

Le Retour
Language: French (Français)  after the Arabic (العربية) 
Our translations:  ENG
A l'aube, pour cueillir les premières fleurs, 
j'avais pénétré dans le jardin assoupi. 
Et le Printemps entra dans ma demeure. 
Comme des lèvres, les corolles s'ouvrirent. 
Elles chantèrent : 
« Elle revient, ta bien-aimée !
Quand nous n'étions, dans les nuits claires, 
que des bourgeons cinglés de bise,
nous le savions, déjà. 
Les larmes d'or des étoiles ont fléchi le Destin. 
« Elle revient, ta bien-aimée ! 
A nous souvenir de sa grâce,
nous ne nous aperçûmes pas de l'hiver. 
« Pour elle, nos tiges saignent dans les vases,
et, joyeusement, nous nous fermerons pour mourir, 
lorsqu'elle nous aura reconnues et respirées.
« Nous ne regrettons pas le soleil,
car nous recevrons l'ardente caresse de ses yeux. 
Nous ne regrettons pas les vents chargés d'arômes, 
car son haleine nous effleurera. » 
Si pâle, elle entra dans ma demeure !
Nous nous taisions.
Pourtant, nos âmes s'interrogeaient et se répondaient. 
Accoudés sur la fenêtre, 
au crépuscule de ce jour désiré,
nous pensâmes à ce que nous devions souffrir encore.

Confirmed with Franz Toussaint, Le jardin des caresses, Paris: L'édition d'art H. Piazza, 1921, pages 126-127.


Text Authorship:

  • by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955), "Le Retour", appears in Le jardin des caresses, no. 132 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in Arabic (العربية) by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist  [text unavailable]
    • Go to the text page.

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

  • by Abel Nathan , "Le Retour", copyright © 1930 [ voice and piano ], from Le Jardin des caresses, no. 4, Paris : L. Philippo [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: 2025-02-12
Line count: 26
Word count: 164

The Return
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
At dawn, to gather the first flowers,
I had gone into the drowsing garden.
And Spring entered into my dwelling.
Like lips, the petals opened.
They sang:
"She is coming back, your beloved!
When we were, on clear nights,
no more than buds lashed by the north wind,
we knew it already.
The golden tears of the stars have swayed Destiny.
She is coming back, your beloved!
Remembering her grace, 
we didn't notice the Winter.
For her, our stems bleed in their vases,
and, joyfully, we will close up and die,
once she has recognized and inhaled us.
We do not miss the sun, 
for we will receive the warm caress of her eyes. 
We do not miss the winds laden with scents, 
for her breath will brush against us." 
So pale, she entered into my dwelling!
We remained silent.
Even so, our souls questioned and answered each other.
Leaning on the windowsill,
at the twilight of that longed-for day,
we thought of what we had yet to suffer.

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), "Le Retour", appears in Le jardin des caresses, no. 132
    • Go to the text page.

Based on:

  • a text in Arabic (العربية) by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist  [text unavailable]
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2026-03-06
Line count: 26
Word count: 169

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