by Nicolas François Guillard (1752 - 1814)
Translation Singable translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Je cède à vos désirs
Language: French (Français) 
Je cède à vos désirs: du sort qui nous opprime
Instruisons Électre, ma soeur!
Aux horreurs du trépas j'arrache une victime
Et je sers à la fois la nature et mon coeur...
Hélas! Je ne puis m'en défendre:
Pour l'un de ces infortunés
Par nos barbares lois à la mort condamnés,
Je sens la pitié la plus tendre,
Mon coeur s'unit à lui par des rapports secrets...
Oreste serait de son âge;
Ce captif malheureux m'en rappelle l'image,
Et sa noble fierté m'en retrace les traits.

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):

Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English [singable] (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist) , title 1: "Ah! well, so let it be!"


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 86

Ah! well, so let it be!
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
 Ah! well, so let it be! The story of our sorrows
 soon shall reach Electra, my sister!
 From death I will now release one of the victims,
 and thus nature obey, and my heart, and your wish.
 Alas! though I cannot explain it,
 for one of these unhappy youths,
 whom our severe decree unto death now devotes,
 I feel unaccustom'd compassion.
 My heart to him is drawn as by some secret bond...
 Of just such an age was Orestes,
 And his face is by this hapless stranger recall'd,
 And he too was inspir'd by a like noble pride.

Text Authorship:

Based on:

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 ]


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 99