by James Joyce (1882 - 1941)
Translation © by Guy Laffaille

At that hour when all things have repose
Language: English 
Available translation(s): FRE
At that hour when all things have repose,
    O lonely watcher of the skies, 
    Do you hear the night wind and the sighs 
Of harps playing unto Love to unclose
    The pale gates of sunrise?

When all things repose, do you alone
    Awake to hear the sweet harps play 
    To Love before him on his way, 
And the night wind answering in antiphon
    Till night is overgone?

Play on, invisible harps, unto Love,
    Whose way in heaven is aglow 
    At that hour when soft lights come and go, 
Soft sweet music in the air above
    And in the earth below.

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Authorship:

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

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: 2008-01-24
Line count: 15
Word count: 100

À cette heure où toute chose se repose
Language: French (Français)  after the English 
À cette heure où toute chose se repose
Ô veilleur solitaire des cieux,
Entends-tu le vent de la nuit et les soupirs
Des harpes jouant pour l'Amour pour fermer
Les portes pâles du lever du soleil ?

Quand toute chose repose es-tu seul
À t'éveiller pour entendre les harpes douces jouer
Pour l'Amour devant lui sur son chemin,
Et le vent de la nuit répondant en antienne
Jusqu'à ce que la nuit s'achève ?

Continuez à jouer, harpes invisibles, pour l'Amour,
Dont le chemin vers le ciel est embrasé
À cette heure où vont et viennent des lumières douces,
Une tendre et douce musique dans l'air en haut
Et sur la terre en bas.

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.
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This text was added to the website: 2009-11-07
Line count: 15
Word count: 114