La femme dure | J'ai vu une tigresse

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by August Kopisch (1799 - 1853)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Die Spröde

Language: German (Deutsch) after the Calabrian

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE

Ich sahe eine Tig'rin
Im dunkeln Haine,
Und doch mit meinen Tränen
Konnt' ich sie zähmen.

Sah auch die harten Steine,
Ja Marmelsteine,
Erweicht vom Fall der Tropfen
Gestalt annehmen.

Und du, so eine zarte,
Holdsel'ge Kleine,
Du lachst zu meinem Seufzen
Und bittern Grämen.

Text Authorship:

by August Kopisch (1799 - 1853) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in Calabrian from Volkslieder (Folksongs) [text unavailable]
- Go to the text page.

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

by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Die Spröde", op. 58 (Acht Lieder und Gesänge) no. 3, published 1872 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La noia esquerpa", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De harde", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The aloof woman", copyright ©
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La femme dure", copyright © 2013, (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: 12
Word count: 45

La femme dure

Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)

J'ai vu une tigresse
Dans le bosquet sombre.
Et pourtant avec mes larmes
Je pouvais l'apprivoiser.

J'ai vu aussi que des pierres dures,
Même du marbre,
Amollies par la chute de gouttes
Prennent de nouvelles formes.

Et toi, si délicate
Et si ravissante petite fille,
Tu ris à mes soupirs
Et à ma souffrance amère.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2013 by Guy Laffaille, (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 German (Deutsch) by August Kopisch (1799 - 1853)
- Go to the text page.

Based on:

a text in Calabrian from Volkslieder (Folksongs) [text unavailable]
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2013-09-02
Line count: 12
Word count: 55