by
Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955)
Chant d'amour
Language: French (Français) after the Chinese (中文)
Tes mains sont deux fleurs de lân.
Tes pieds sont deux bourgeons de fleurs de magnolia.
Tes joues sont deux tulipes.
Ta bouche est une goutte de corail.
Tes seins sont deux oranges de [Kiang-nân]1
Ton parfum est celui du printemps.
Ta voix est plus séduisante que le chant de la brise
dans les saules qui reverdissent.
Ton haleine est plus grisante que l'odeur d'une pagode
où brûlent des aromates.
Tu es plus belle qu'une fleur d'abricotier arrosée de lune.
Tu es toutes les fleurs, tous les parfums,
tu es la splendeur du monde.
Lorsque je pense à toi, je n'envie plus les dieux.
View text without footnotes
Confirmed with André Lejard, ed., La femme et l'amour, Lausanne: La guilde du livre, 1947, Page 65.
1 de Polignac: "Kinân"
Text Authorship:
Based on:
- a text in Chinese (中文) by Chen-Teuo-Tsan (1598 - 1645) [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Nico Hermans (1919 - 1988), "Chant d'Amour", 1952, copyright © 1952 [ alto, flute and harp ], from La flûte de jade, no. 1, Amsterdam: Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
- by Armande de Polignac (1876 - 1962), "Chant d'amour", published 1922 [ medium voice and piano ], from La flûte de jade, no. 2, Genève, Éd. A. Henn, also set in English [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Léon Stekke (1904 - 1970), "Chant d'amour", op. 11 no. 2 [ voice and piano ], from Deux mélodies chinoises : extraites de "La Flûte de Jade", no. 2, Bruxelles : Editions modernes Georges Vriamont [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Grant Hicks) , "Love Song", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Grant Hicks
[Guest Editor] , Sharon Krebs
[Senior Associate Editor]This text was added to the website: 2008-02-19
Line count: 14
Word count: 105
Love Song
Language: English after the French (Français)
Your hands are two flowers of lân.
Your feet are two buds of magnolia blossoms.
Your cheeks are two tulips.
Your mouth is a drop of coral.
Your breasts are two oranges of [Kiang-nân]1.
Your aroma is that of Spring.
Your voice is more seductive than the song of the breeze
in the greening willows.
Your breath is more intoxicating than the scent of a pagoda
where spices are burning.
You are more beautiful than an apricot flower sprinkled with moonlight.
You are all the flowers, all the perfumes,
you are the splendor of the world.
When I think of you, I no longer envy the gods.
Available sung text translations: ← What is this?
• A. de Polignac View text without footnotes
1 de Polignac: "Kinân"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2026 by Grant Hicks, (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 French (Français) by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955), "Chant d'amour"
Based on:
- a text in Chinese (中文) by Chen-Teuo-Tsan (1598 - 1645) [text unavailable]
This text was added to the website: 2026-06-17
Line count: 14
Word count: 110
