by
Eugène David (1784 - 1830)
Le mariage des roses
Language: French (Français)
Our translations: ENG ENG
Mignonne, sais tu comment,
S'épousent les roses?
Ah! cet hymen est charmant!
Quelles tendres choses
Elles disent en ouvrant
Leurs paupières closes!
Mignonne, sais tu comment
S'épousent les roses?
Elles disent: Aimons nous!
Si courte est la vie!
Ayons les baisers plus doux,
L'âme plus ravie!
Pendant que l'homme, à genoux,
Doute, espère, ou prie!
Ô mes soeurs, embrassons-nous
Si courte est la vie!
Croix-moi, mignonne, croix-moi,
Aimons nous comme elles,
Vois, le printemps vient à toi,
Et, des hirondelles
Aimer est l'unique loi
À leurs nids fidèles.
Ô ma reine suis ton roi,
Aimons nous comme elles.
Excepté d'avoir aimé,
Qu'est-il donc sur terre?
Notre horizon est fermé,
Ombre, nuit, mystère!
Un seul phare est allumé,
L'amour nous l'éclaire!
Excepté d'avoir aimé,
Qu'est-il donc sur terre?
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):
- by César Franck (1822 - 1890), "Le mariage des roses", FWV. 80, CFF. 183 (1871), published 1873 [ high voice and piano ], first published in Le monde musical, vol 1 [ sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Faith J. Cormier) , "The marriage of the roses", copyright © 2003, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Amy Pfrimmer) , "The marriage of the roses", copyright © 2019, (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: 32
Word count: 127
The marriage of the roses
Language: English after the French (Français)
My dear one, do you know
how the roses marry?
It's a charming ceremony.
They say all sort of sweet nothings
as they open their lids.
My sweet, do you know
how the roses marry?
They say, "Let us love each other!
Life is so short!
Let us have the sweetest kisses,
the most ravished soul!
While man, on his knees,
doubts, hopes or prays!
My sisters, let us kiss each other!
Life is so short!"
Believe me, my dear one, believe me,
let us love each other as they do.
Look, spring is coming to you,
and the only law
in the swallows' faithful nests
is love.
My queen, follow your king.
Let us love as they do.
Unless you have loved,
what use is life on this earth?
Our horizon is closed,
shadow, night, mystery!
Only one lamp is lit -
love lights our way!
Unless you have loved,
what use is life on this earth?
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2003 by Faith J. Cormier, (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:
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 31
Word count: 158