by Arthur Rimbaud (1854 - 1891)
Translation by Jaroslav Vrchlický (1853 - 1912)
Le dormeur du val
Language: French (Français)
Our translations: ENG
C'est un trou de verdure où chante une rivière Accrochant follement aux herbes des haillons D'argent; où le soleil de la montagne fière, Luit; C'est un petit val qui mousse de rayons. Un soldat jeune bouche ouverte, tête nue, Et la nuque baignant dans le frais cresson bleu, Dort; il est étendu dans l'herbe, sous la nue, Pale dans son lit vert où la lumière pleut. Les pieds dans les glaïeuls, il dort. Souriant comme Sourirait un enfant malade, il fait un somme: Nature, berce-le chaudement: il a froid. Les parfums ne font plus frissonner sa narine; Il dort dans le soleil, la main sur sa poitrine Tranquille. Il a deux trous rouges au coté droit.
Text Authorship:
- by Arthur Rimbaud (1854 - 1891), "Le Dormeur du val", written 1870, appears in Poésies, Paris, Éd. du Mercure de France, first published 1929 [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 Hendrik Andriessen (1892 - 1981), "Le dormeur du val", 1935 [ voice and piano or orchestra ], from Trois pastorales, no. 2, Utrecht (Hollande), Éd. J.R. Van Rossum [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Alfred Bachelet (1864 - 1944), "Le dormeur du val", published 1915 [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and piano or orchestra ], Paris, Éd. "Au Ménestrel" Heugel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jean-Guy Bailly (1925 - 2009), "Le dormeur du val", 1989 [ baritone and piano ], from Trois poèmes d'Arthur Rimbaud, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louis Bessières (1913 - 2011), "Le dormeur du val", published 1952 [ medium voice and piano ], Paris, Éd. Métropolitaines [sung text not yet checked]
- by Roger Boutry (b. 1932), "Le dormeur du val", 1956, published 1972 [ high voice, violin, and piano ], from Chansons du Sol, no. 1, Paris, Éd. Salabert [sung text not yet checked]
- by Pierre (Onfroy) de Bréville (1861 - 1949), "Le dormeur du val", c1943, unpublished [sung text not yet checked]
- by Francis Coiteux (b. 1944), "Le Dormeur du val", published 1997 [ medium voice and piano ], Éd. H. Lemoine [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jean Philippe Dartois , "Le dormeur du val", 2023 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Rudolf Escher (1912 - 1980), "Le dormeur du val", 1970, from Univers de Rimbaud, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bruno Gousset (b. 1958), "Le dormeur du val", op. 33 (1974-1989) [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Benoît Menut (b. 1977), "Le Dormeur du val", 2019, published 2019 [ vocal duet with piano ], Clichy, Éd. Musicales Artchipel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Léon Orthel (1905 - 1985), "Le dormeur du val", op. 58 no. 1, published 1972 [ high voice and piano ], from Trois chansonnettes, no. 1, Amsterdam, Donemus [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Spáč v údolí"
- ENG English (Michael P Rosewall) , "The Sleeper of the Valley", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Peter Low) , "The Sleeper in the Vale", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- HUN Hungarian (Magyar) (Dezső Kosztolányi) , "A völgyben egy katona alszik"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 116
Spáč v údolí
Language: Czech (Čeština) after the French (Français)
To zelený je kout, kde potok zpívá, na trávu věsí stříbro svojich pěn, kde slunce horské hrdě v svět se dívá, a údol paprsky jest naplněn. Tam ústa dokořán, bez přilby hlavu, šíj mezi řeřichou, mez kterou zkvětla, spí mladý voják natažený v trávu, v tvář bledou pláčí jemu proudy světla. Spí. U noh kosatci je zkvetlo všecko. Spí, usmívá se nemocné jak děcko. Jej zahřej, přírodo, neb je mu zima! Však vůní se mu chřípě nezachvějí. Na ňadrech ruku maje tiše dřímá a rudé díry dvě mu v boku zejí.
Confirmed with Moderní básníci francouzští, Praha : Jos. R. Vilímek, vyd. okolo 1893, page 445.
Text Authorship:
- by Jaroslav Vrchlický (1853 - 1912), "Spáč v údolí" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Arthur Rimbaud (1854 - 1891), "Le Dormeur du val", written 1870, appears in Poésies, Paris, Éd. du Mercure de France, first published 1929
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-07-17
Line count: 14
Word count: 91