by Charles-Marie-René Leconte de Lisle (1818 - 1894)
Translation by Ethel Mary Smyth, Dame (1858 - 1944)
Laissez‑moi boire, au nom des Dieux !
Language: French (Français) after the Greek (Ελληνικά)
Laissez-moi boire, au nom des Dieux ! Je veux devenir furieux en buvant. Orestès aux pieds blancs et Alkméon devinrent furieux après avoir tué leurs mères ; mais moi qui n'ai tué personne, je veux devenir furieux après avoir bu [d'un]1 bon vin ! Autrefois Héraklès entra en fureur et fit tout trembler, avec l'arc et le carquois guerrier d'Iphitéios. Aias, furieux aussi, faisait rage, avec son bouclier à sept peaux et avec l'épée d'Hektôr. Et moi, le front ceint de fleurs, sans bouclier ni épée, mais la coupe en main, [je veux, je]2 veux devenir furieux !
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Idylles de Théocrite et Odes anacréontiques. Traduction nouvelle par Leconte de Lisle, Paris, Poulet-Malassis et de Broise, 1861, page 240. Note: this is a prose text. We have added line-breaks.
1 Smyth: "du"2 Smyth: "laissez-moi boire, je veux ! je"
Text Authorship:
- by Charles-Marie-René Leconte de Lisle (1818 - 1894), "Ode XXXI. Sur lui-même", appears in Idylles de Théocrite et Odes anacréontiques [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
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):
- by Ethel Mary Smyth, Dame (1858 - 1944), "Ode anacréontique", 1907, published 1908 [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and flute, harp, strings and percussion ], from Four Songs, no. 4, London : Novello & Co. Ltd., also set in English [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-07-01
Line count: 19
Word count: 95
Anacreontic Ode
Language: English after the French (Français)
Ho! Bring me wine, and to the gods be drain’d the bowl! I would fain be filled with the frenzy of wine, Yea, be mad, mad with wine! Madness fell on Orestes, youth white of foot, Whose hand, like unto Alcmaeons, with a mother’s blood was stained, But I whose hand shed the blood of no man. Of no man. I will drink ’till madness shall seize me, Madness begot of good wine, Ho! Wine! For I will drink unto the gods, drink unto the gods till I be mad, yea! mad with wine! Once in the days of yore, Hercules possessed Made all hearts to quake, quake for fear, With the bow and the quiver of war-like young Iphitus, With the quiver of Iphitus, of young Iphitus the war-like! Thus too did Ajax, Ajax infuriate, madly storm and rage, With shield held aloft, his mighty shield of seven hides. While the sword of great Hector he swung, madly raging. And I, my brow crown’d with flow’rs, girt not with buckler and sword, but cup in hand, I fain would be mad with the frenzy of wine, yea, drink till mad with wine – then fill the bowl, for drain it I will! Ho there! Wine, bring me wine, and to the gods this cup I drain!
Text Authorship:
- by Ethel Mary Smyth, Dame (1858 - 1944), written 1907?
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Charles-Marie-René Leconte de Lisle (1818 - 1894), "Ode XXXI. Sur lui-même", appears in Idylles de Théocrite et Odes anacréontiques
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):
- by Ethel Mary Smyth, Dame (1858 - 1944), "Anacreontic Ode", 1907, published 1908 [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and flute, harp, strings and percussion ], from Four Songs, no. 4, London : Novello & Co. Ltd., also set in French (Français) [sung text checked 1 time]
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-07-01
Line count: 19
Word count: 217