I am more at ease than the Gods | I am more at ease in my heart than the Gods

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by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)

Translation © by David Wyatt

Je suis plus aisé que les Dieux

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Je suis plus [aise en mon cœur]¹ que les Dieux
Quand maugré toi tu me baises, Maistresse ;
De ton baiser la douceur larronnesse
Tout esperdu m'en-vole jusqu'aux cieux.

Quant est de moy, j'estime beaucoup mieux
Ton seul baiser que si quelque deesse,
En cent façons doucement tenteresse,
M'accoloit nud d'un bras delicieux.

Il est bien vrai que tu as de coustume
D'entremesler tes baisers d'amertume,
Les donnants courts. Mais quoi ? Je ne pourrois

Vivre autrement : car mon ame, qui touche
Tant de beautez, s'enfuyroit par ma bouche,
Et de trop d'aise en ton sein je mourrois.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• J. de Maletty • F. Regnard

F. Regnard sets stanza 1

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Regnard, de Maletty: "aise"

Text Authorship:

by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), "Je suis plus aisé que les Dieux" [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 Jean de Maletty (flourished 16th century), "Je suis plus aisé que les Dieux" [ vocal quartet ], note: only one voice-part currently exists [sung text checked 1 time]
by François Regnard (c1530 - c1600), "Je suis plus aisé que les Dieux", stanza 1 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (David Wyatt) , "I am more at ease than the Gods", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: David Wyatt

This text was added to the website: 2012-07-25
Line count: 14
Word count: 96

I am more at ease than the Gods

Language: English after the French (Français)

I am more at ease [ in my heart ] than the Gods
When despite yourself you kiss me, my mistress;
The stolen sweetness of your kiss
Lifts me up, totally overcome, to the heavens.

As for me, I put far more value
On a single kiss from you, than if some goddess
Tempting me sweetly a hundred different ways 
Should embrace me naked in her lovely arms.

It is indeed true that you have customarily
Mixed your kisses with bitterness,
Giving short ones only. So what? I could not

Live otherwise: for my soul which touches
So many beauties, would rush out of my mouth
And from being too at ease in your bosom I would die.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2012 by David Wyatt, (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 Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), "Je suis plus aisé que les Dieux"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2012-07-25
Line count: 14
Word count: 118