by
Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)
Vous méprisez nature: êtes‑vous si...
Language: French (Français)
Our translations: CAT ENG
Vous méprisez nature: êtes-vous si cruelle
De ne vouloir aimer? voyez les passereaux
Qui démènent l'amour, [voyez les colombeaux,
Regardez le ramier,]1 voyez la tourterelle.
Voyez déça, delà, d'une frétillante aile
Voleter par les bois les amoureux oiseaux,
Voyez la jeune vigne embrasser les ormeaux,
Et toute chose rire en la saison nouvelle.
Ici la bergerette en tournant son fuseau
Dégoise ses amours, et là le pastoureau
Répond à sa chanson; ici toute chose aime,
Tout parle d'amour, tout s'en veut enflammer.
Seulement votre coeur froid d'une glace extrême
Demeure opiniâtre et ne veut pas aimer.
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• G. Bizet About the headline (FAQ)
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1 omitted by Bizet
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):
- by Georges Bizet (1838 - 1875), "Sonnet", 1866, published 1866 [ medium voice and piano ], from Feuilles d'Album, no. 3, Paris, Éd. “Au Ménestrel” Heugel [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Louis Théodore Gouvy (1819 - 1898), "Vous méprisez nature", op. 44 (Huit Poésies de Ronsard) no. 5, published 1876 [ voice and piano ], from 40 Poèmes de Ronsard, no. 20, Paris, Éd Simon Richault [sung text not yet checked]
- by Albert Groz , "Vous méprisez Nature", op. 8 no. 4, published [1910] [ voice and piano ], from Les Amours de Marie, no. 4, Paris, Éd. Rouart, Lerolle & Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edmond Michotte (1831 - 1914), "À Marguerite", published [1864] [ high voice and piano ], from Vingt-cinq morceaux de chant à une et à plusieurs voix avec accompagnement de piano, no. 15, Paris, Éd. Flaxland [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , "You despise nature", copyright © 2014, (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: 14
Word count: 97
You despise nature
Language: English after the French (Français)
You despise nature. Are you so cruel
As not to wish to love? See the sparrows
Which are agitated by love, see the doves,
See the pigeon, see the turtle-dove:
See here and there on fluttering wing
The amorous birds flitting through the woods,
See the young vine embrace the elms,
And everything laughing in this new season.
Here the shepherdess turning her spindle
Rambles of her love, and there the shepherd
Replies to her song, here everything is in love:
Everything speaks of love, everything wishes to burn with it;
Your heart alone, cold with an extreme iciness,
Remains stubborn and does not wish to love at all.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2014 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.
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Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2014-01-15
Line count: 14
Word count: 109