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Of that so sweet imprisonment
My soul, dearest, is fain --
Soft arms that woo me to relent
And woo me to detain.
Ah, could they ever hold me there
Gladly were I a prisoner!
Dearest, through interwoven arms
By love made tremulous,
That night allures me where alarms
Nowise may trouble us;
But sleep to dreamier sleep be wed
Where soul with soul lies prisoned.
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Authorship
- by James Joyce (1882 - 1941), no title, appears in Chamber Music, no. 22, first published 1907 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)
- by Ross Lee Finney (1906 - 1997), "Of that so sweet imprisonment", 1952, published 1985, first performed 1975 [voice and piano], from Chamber Music, no. 22, Henmar Press [text not verified]
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , title unknown, copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-12-02
Line count: 12
Word count: 65
De ce si doux emprisonnement Mon âme, très chère, est désireuse -- De doux bras qui cherchent à me plaire Et à me retenir. Ah, s'ils pouvaient toujours me tenir là Heureux je serais leur prisonnier ! Très chère, à travers les bras entrelacés Par l'amour rendus tremblants, Cette nuit m'attire où les alarmes Ne pourront nous troubler ; Mais le sommeil se marie à un sommeil plein de rêves Où l'âme reste prisonnière avec l'âme.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2009 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:
- a text in English by James Joyce (1882 - 1941), no title, appears in Chamber Music, no. 22, first published 1907
This text was added to the website: 2009-11-07
Line count: 12
Word count: 75