by Paul Collin (1845 - 1915)
Translation © by Jean-Pierre Granger

Qu'importe que l'hiver
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG
Qu'importe que l'hiver éteigne les clartés
Du soleil assombri dans les cieux [attristés?]1
Je sais bien où trouver encore
Les brillants rayons d'une aurore
Plus belle que [celle]2 des cieux.
Toi que j'adore, c'est dans tes yeux!

Qu'importe que l'hiver ait des printemps défunts
[Dispersé]3 sans pitié les enivrants parfums?
Je sais où trouver, non flétrie,
Malgré [les bises]4 en furie,
Une rose encor tout en fleur.
Ô ma chérie, c'est dans ton cœur!

Ce rayon qui, bravant les ombres [de]5 la nuit,
Toujours splendide et pur luit au fond de tes yeux;
Cette fleur toujours parfumée
Qui dans ton cœur est enfermée
Et qui sait survivre à l'été.
Ma bien aimée, c'est [la]6 beauté!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   J. Massenet 

View text without footnotes
1 Massenet: "attristés."
2 Massenet: "l'aube"
3 Massenet: "Dissipé"
4 Massenet: "la bise"
5 Massenet: "et"
6 Massenet: "ta"

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):

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Què importa si l’hivern", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Jean-Pierre Granger) , "It doesn't matter", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-12-06
Line count: 18
Word count: 121

It doesn't matter
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
It doesn't matter that the winter puts out the lights
Of the obscured sun in the saddened sky.
I still know where to find again
The bright rays of a sunrise
more beautiful then the dawn of the heavens!
You, who I adore, it's in your eyes !

It doesn't matter that the winter had unmercifully dispelled
The intoxicating perfumes of the late springs!
I know where to find, unfaded,
Despite the furious North wind,
A rose still in bloom!
O my darling, it's in your heart!

This ray, defying the shadows and the night,
Always splendid and pure, shines deep in your eyes;
This always scented flower
Locked up in your heart
And which survives the summer,
My beloved, it's your beauty!

The translator has released this translation of the Massenet version into the public domain.

Text Authorship:

Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2010-10-21
Line count: 18
Word count: 122