Imaginez Diane en galant équipage, Parcourant les forêts ou battant les halliers, Cheveux et gorge au vent, s'enivrant de tapage, Superbe et défiant les meilleurs cavaliers ! Avez-vous vu Théroigne, amante du carnage, Excitant à l'assaut un peuple sans souliers, La joue et l'œil en feu, jouant son personnage, Et montant, sabre au poing, les royaux escaliers ? Telle la Sisina ! Mais la douce guerrière À l'âme charitable autant que meurtrière ; Son courage, affolé de poudre et de tambours, Devant les suppliants sait mettre bas les armes, Et son cœur, ravagé par la flamme, a toujours, Pour qui s'en montre digne, un réservoir de larmes.
Confirmed with Charles Baudelaire, Les Fleurs du mal, Paris: Poulet-Malassis et de Broise, 1861, in Spleen et Idéal, pages 137-138. Note: this was number 59 in the 1861 edition of Les Fleurs du mal but 60 in subsequent editions.
Text Authorship:
- by Charles Baudelaire (1821 - 1867), "Sisina", appears in Les Fleurs du mal, in 1. Spleen et Idéal, no. 59, Paris, Poulet-Malassis et de Broise, first published 1861 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Benjamin C. S. Boyle , "Sisina", op. 24 no. 1, published 2011, first performed 2011 [ vocal duet for tenor and soprano with piano ], from Chansons de Diane, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Stefan George (1868 - 1933) , "Sisina", appears in Die Blumen des Bösen, in Trübsinn und Vergeisterung, Berlin, Bondi, first published 1901 ; composed by Gerhard Frommel.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Haasz) , "Sisina", Prague, J. Otto, first published 1919
- ENG English (Cyril Meir Scott) , "Sisina", appears in The Flowers of Evil, London, Elkin Mathews, first published 1909
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2015-12-29
Line count: 14
Word count: 103
Imagine Diana in gorgeous array, How into the forests and thickets she flies, With her hair in the breezes, and flushed for the fray, How the very best riders she proudly defies. Have you seen Theroigne, of the blood-thirsty heart, As an unshod herd to attack he bestirs, With cheeks all inflamed, playing up to his part, As he goes, sword in hand, up the royal stairs ? And so is Sisina yet this warrior sweet, Has a soul with compassion and kindness replete, Inspired by drums and by powder, her sway Knows how to concede to the supplicants' prayers, And her bosom, laid waste by the flames, has alway, For those that are worthy, a fountain of tears.
Confirmed with Cyril Scott, The Flowers of Evil [by Charles Baudelaire; translated into English verse by Cyril Scott], London: Elkin Mathews, 1909, page 40.
Text Authorship:
- by Cyril Meir Scott (1879 - 1970), "Sisina", appears in The Flowers of Evil, London, Elkin Mathews, first published 1909 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Charles Baudelaire (1821 - 1867), "Sisina", appears in Les Fleurs du mal, in 1. Spleen et Idéal, no. 59, Paris, Poulet-Malassis et de Broise, first published 1861
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 page: Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-07-09
Line count: 14
Word count: 118