Songs

7. Being beauteous

by Benjamin Britten

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Text & Translation

7. Being beauteous
French source: Arthur Rimbaud

Devant un neige un Être de Beauté de haute taille.
Des sifflements de mort et des cercles de musique
sourde font monter, s’élargir et trembler comme
un spectre ce corps adoré; des blessures écarlates
et noires éclatent dans les chairs superbes. Les
couleurs propres de la vie se foncent, dansent, et
se dégagent autour de la Vision, sur le chantier.
Et les frissons s’élèvent et grondent, et la saveur
forcenée de ces effets, se chargeant avec les
sifflements mortels et les rauques musiques que
le monde, loin derrière nous, lance sur notre mère
de beauté,—elle recule, elle se dresse. Oh! nos os
sont revêtus d’un nouveau corps amoureux.

Ô la face cendrée, l’écusson de crin, les bras de
cristal! le canon sur lequel je dois m’abattre à
travers la mêlée des arbres et de l’air léger!

Being Beauteous
English translation © Richard Stokes

Against a background of snow, a tall Being of
Beauty. Wheezings of death and circles of muffled
music cause this adored body to rise, to swell, to
quiver like a spectre; scarlet and black wounds
break out on the glorious flesh. The
true colours of life deepen, dance and
detach themselves around the Vision in the making.
And tremors rise and rumble, and the frenzied flavour
of these effects, being burdened with the
dying gasps and raucous music
that the world, far behind us, hurls at our
mother of beauty—she draws back, she starts up.

Oh! our bones are dressed in a new and loving body.
Ah! The ashen face, the horsehair escutcheon, the
crystal arms! the cannon at which I must charge
across the skirmish of trees and soft air!

7. Being beauteous
French source: Arthur Rimbaud

Being Beauteous
English source: Richard Stokes

Devant un neige un Être de Beauté de haute taille.
Against a background of snow, a tall Being of
Des sifflements de mort et des cercles de musique
Beauty. Wheezings of death and circles of muffled
sourde font monter, s’élargir et trembler comme
music cause this adored body to rise, to swell, to
un spectre ce corps adoré; des blessures écarlates
quiver like a spectre; scarlet and black wounds
et noires éclatent dans les chairs superbes. Les
break out on the glorious flesh. The
couleurs propres de la vie se foncent, dansent, et
true colours of life deepen, dance and
se dégagent autour de la Vision, sur le chantier.
detach themselves around the Vision in the making.
Et les frissons s’élèvent et grondent, et la saveur
And tremors rise and rumble, and the frenzied flavour
forcenée de ces effets, se chargeant avec les
of these effects, being burdened with the
sifflements mortels et les rauques musiques que
dying gasps and raucous music
le monde, loin derrière nous, lance sur notre mère
that the world, far behind us, hurls at our
de beauté,—elle recule, elle se dresse. Oh! nos os
mother of beauty—she draws back, she starts up.
sont revêtus d’un nouveau corps amoureux.

Ô la face cendrée, l’écusson de crin, les bras de
Oh! our bones are dressed in a new and loving body.
cristal! le canon sur lequel je dois m’abattre à
Ah! The ashen face, the horsehair escutcheon, the
travers la mêlée des arbres et de l’air léger!
crystal arms! the cannon at which I must charge

Composer

Benjamin Britten

Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) was an English composer, conductor and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British classical music, with a range of works including opera, other vocal music,…

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