Madrigal | She whom I love is fairer

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by Edmond Haraucourt (1856 - 1941)

Translation © by Faith J. Cormier

Celle que j'aime a de beauté

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: CAT ENG

Celle que j'aime a de beauté
Plus que Flore et plus que Pomone,
Et je sais pour l'avoir chanté
Que sa bouche est le soir d'automne
Et son regard la nuit d'été.

Pour marraine elle eut Astarté,
Pour patronne elle a la Madone,
Car elle est belle autant que bonne,
  Celle que j'aime.

Elle écoute, rit et pardonne,
N'écoutant que par charité ;
Elle écoute, mais sa fierté
N'écoute ni moi ni personne,
Et rien encore n'a tenté
  Celle que j'aime.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Edmond Haraucourt, Seul. C'est ici le roman d'un rêve, Paris, Bibliotheèque-Charpentier, 1891, page 215.

Text Authorship:

by Edmond Haraucourt (1856 - 1941), "Rondeau galant", appears in Seul, in 3. La possession, no. 4, Paris, Éd. Bibliothèque Charpentier, first published 1891 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

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

by Gabriel Fauré (1845 - 1924), "Madrigal", op. 57 no. 2 (1889), published 1889, note: from the incidental music to the play Shylock. [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Faith J. Cormier) , "Madrigal", copyright © 2001, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 80

Madrigal

Language: English after the French (Français)

 She whom I love is fairer
 than Flora or Pomona 
 and I know, for I have sung so,
 that her mouth is an autumn evening
 and her glance a summer night.
 Her godmother was Astarte, 
 her patron saint the Madonna,
 for she is as fair as she is good,
 she whom I love!
 
 She listens, laughs and pardons,
 only listening out of charity:
 she listens, but her pride
 listens, not to me or to any other,
 and nothing yet has tempted
 the one I love!

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2001 by Faith J. Cormier, (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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Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Edmond Haraucourt (1856 - 1941), "Rondeau galant", appears in Seul, in 3. La possession, no. 4, Paris, Éd. Bibliothèque Charpentier, first published 1891
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 86