Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Une fois, terrassé par un puissant breuvage, J'ai rêvé que parmi les vagues et le bruit De la mer je voguais sans fanal, dans la nuit, Morne rameur, n'ayant plus l'espoir du rivage. L'océan me crachait ses baves sur le front Et le vent me glaçait d'horreur jusqu'aux entrailles. Les [lames]1 s'écroulaient ainsi que des murailles, Avec ce rythme lent qu'un silence interrompt. Puis tout changea. La mer et sa noire mêlée Sombrèrent. Sous mes pieds s'effondra le plancher De la barque... Et j'étais seul dans un vieux clocher, Chevauchant avec rage une cloche ébranlée. J'étreignais la criarde opiniâtrement, Convulsif et fermant dans l'effort mes paupières ; Le grondement faisait trembler les vieilles pierres, Tant j'activais sans fin le lourd balancement. Pourquoi n'as-tu [point]2 dit, ô rêve ! où Dieu nous mène ? Pourquoi n'as-tu [point]2 dit s'ils ne finiraient pas, L'inutile travail et l'éternel fracas Dont est faite la vie, hélas ! la vie humaine ?
1 Duparc: "vagues"
2 Duparc: "pas"
Authorship:
- by François Coppée (1842 - 1908), "La vague et la cloche", appears in La Reliquaire, first published 1866 [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 Édouard Cazaneuve (d. 1903), "La Vague et la cloche", subtitle: "Scène fantastique", published [1879] [ medium voice and piano ], from Douze Mélodies, no. 10, Paris, Éd. H. Tellier [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henri Duparc (1848 - 1933), "La vague et la cloche", 1871, published 1894 [ bass and orchestra ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Georges Mathias (1826 - 1910), "La vague et la cloche", published 1889 [ high voice and piano ], from Six mélodies, no. 6, Paris, Éd. Durand & Schoenewerck [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Marike Lindhout) , "De Golf en de Klok", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Korin Kormick) , "The wave and the bell", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Michael Rapke) , "Die Welle und die Glocke", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 157
One time, stricken down by a powerful brew, I dreamt that among the waves and the noise Of the sea I was sailing without lantern at night, A bleak oarsman, having no longer hope of the shore. The Ocean spat its drool on my brow And the wind froze me down to the guts with horror; The swells demolished themselves as well as the ramparts With this slow rhythm that a silence cut off. Then, everything changed. The sea and her black fray Died down. Under my feet collapsed the floor Of the boat...And I was alone in an old campanile, Riding with rage a tolling bell. I clutched the squalling thing obstinately, Convulsive and closing my eyelids in strain, The rumble made the old stones tremble, So much did I endlessly stoke the heavy sway. Why did you not say, o dream, where God leads us? Why did you not say that they never end, The useless work and eternal din Of which is made life, alas, and humanity?
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2012 by Korin Kormick, (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 François Coppée (1842 - 1908), "La vague et la cloche", appears in La Reliquaire, first published 1866
This text was added to the website: 2012-10-15
Line count: 20
Word count: 170