Bien que je sois ton Mithridate

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by James Joyce (1882 - 1941)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Though I thy Mithridates were

Language: English

Our translations: FRE

Though I thy Mithridates were,
    Framed to defy the poison-dart, 
Yet must thou fold me unaware
    To know the rapture of thy heart, 
And I but render and confess
The malice of thy tenderness.

For elegant and antique phrase,
    Dearest, my lips wax all too wise; 
Nor have I known a love whose praise
    Our piping poets solemnize, 
Neither a love where may not be
Ever so little falsity.

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Text Authorship:

by James Joyce (1882 - 1941), no title, appears in Chamber Music, no. 27, first published 1907 [author's text not yet checked 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), "Though I thy Mithridates were", 1952, published 1985, first performed 1975 [ voice and piano ], from Chamber Music, no. 27, Henmar Press [sung text not yet checked]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , 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: 69

Bien que je sois ton Mithridate

Language: French (Français) after the English

Bien que je sois ton Mithridate
Conçu pour défier le dard empoisonné,
Pourtant tu dois me serrer dans tes bras inconscient
Pour connaître le ravissement de ton cœur,
Alors seulement je me rends et je confesse
La malice de ta tendresse.

Pour une phrase élégante et antique,
Très chère, mes lèvres sont trop sages ;
Et je n'ai pas connu un amour dont la louange
Est célébrée par nos poètes musiciens,
Ni un amour où il ne puisse y avoir
Même si peu de fausseté.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in English by James Joyce (1882 - 1941), no title, appears in Chamber Music, no. 27, first published 1907
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2009-11-07
Line count: 12
Word count: 84