by
Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896)
Donne ta main, retiens ton souffle,...
Language: French (Français)
Donne ta main, retiens ton souffle, asseyons-nous
Sous cet arbre géant où vient mourir la brise
En soupirs inégaux sous la ramure grise
Que caresse le clair de lune blême et doux.
Immobiles, baissons nos yeux vers nos genoux.
Ne pensons pas, rêvons. Laissons faire à leur guise
Le bonheur qui s'enfuit et l'amour qui s'épuise,
Et nos cheveux frôlés par l'aile des hiboux.
Oublions d'espérer. Discrète et contenue,
Que l'âme de chacun de nous deux continue
Ce calme et cette mort sereine du soleil.
Restons silencieux parmi la paix nocturne :
Il n'est pas bon d'aller troubler dans son sommeil
La nature, ce dieu féroce et taciturne.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Paul Desrais , "Circonspection", published 1905 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Du Wast [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louis Nicolaou , "Circonspection", 1968 [ medium voice and piano ], from Deux Sonnets de Paul Verlaine, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Irena Regina Poldowski (1880 - 1932), "Circonspection", published 1913 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Rœder [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Théodore Terestchenko (1888 - 1950), "Rêverie", published [1913] [ voice and piano ], from Quatre mélodies, no. 3, Paris, Hamelle [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sarah Hall) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-01-04
Line count: 14
Word count: 107
Give (me) your hand, hold your breath,...
Language: English after the French (Français)
Give (me) your hand, hold your breath, let us sit down
Beneath this giant tree where the breeze comes to die
In uneven sighs under the grey branch
That the pale and soft moonlight caresses.
Unmoving, let us lower our eyes to our knees.
Let us not think, let us dream. Let them do as they please:
The happiness that flees and the love that exhausts itself,
As our hair is brushed against the wing of the owls.
Let us forget to hope. Discreet and contained,
May the soul of each of us pursue
This calm and serene death of the sun.
Let us remain silent amidst the nocturnal peace:
It is not good to go disturbing the sleep (of)
Nature, that ferocious and taciturn god.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of titles:
"Circonspection" = "Caution"
"Rêverie" = "Daydream"
Poldowski does not set the last stanza.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2024 by Sarah Hall, (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:
This text was added to the website: 2024-11-12
Line count: 14
Word count: 126