by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896)
Translation © by Ferdinando Albeggiani

Le ciel est, par‑dessus le toit
Language: French (Français) 
Available translation(s): CAT CHI ENG ENG ITA SPA
Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit,
  Si bleu, si calme !
Un arbre, par-dessus le toit,
  Berce sa palme.

La cloche, dans le ciel qu'on voit,
  Doucement tinte.
Un oiseau sur l'arbre qu'on voit
  Chante sa plainte.

Mon Dieu, mon Dieu, la vie est là
  Simple et tranquille.
Cette paisible rumeur-là
  Vient de la ville.

Qu'as-tu fait, ô toi que voilà
  Pleurant sans cesse,
Dis, qu'as-tu fait, toi que voilà,
  De ta jeunesse ?

About the headline (FAQ)

Authorship:

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

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • CHI Chinese (中文) (Yen-Chiang Che) , "監禁", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Píseň"
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , no title, copyright © 2016
  • ENG English (Ernest Christopher Dowson) , no title, appears in Decorations, in After Paul Verlaine, no. 4
  • ENG English (Amy Pfrimmer) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Il cielo, lassù oltre il tetto", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (José Miguel Llata) , "Desde la prisión", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Ted Perry

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 74

Il cielo, lassù oltre il tetto
Language: Italian (Italiano)  after the French (Français) 
Il cielo, lassù oltre il tetto,
così azzurro e sereno!
Un albero, lassù oltre il tetto,
dondola la sua chioma.

La campana, nel cielo che scorgo,
rintocca dolcemente.
Un uccello, nell'albero che scorgo,
canta un lamento.

Dio mio, Dio mio! La vita è di là,
semplice e tranquilla.
Un calmo rumore,
sale dalla città.

Che cosa hai fatto, tu qui ridotto
in perpetua tristezza,
dimmi, che cosa ne hai fatto,
della tua giovinezza.

Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2009 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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: 2009-12-29
Line count: 16
Word count: 73