Accompagnement
French source:
Albert Samain
La lune s’effeuille sur l’eau …
Comme de longs cheveux peignés au vent du soir,
L’odeur des nuits d’été parfume le lac noir.
Le grand lac parfumé brille comme un miroir.
Ma rame tombe et se relève,
Ma barque glisse dans le rêve.
Ma barque glisse dans le ciel
Sur le lac immatériel …
En cadence, les yeux fermés,
Rame, ô mon cœur, ton indolence
À larges coups lents et pâmés.
Là-bas la lune écoute, accoudée au coteau,
Le silence qu’exhale en glissant le bateau …
Trois grands lis frais-coupés meurent sur mon manteau.
Vers tes lèvres, ô Nuit voluptueuse et pâle,
Est-ce leur âme, est-ce mon âme qui s’exhale?
Cheveux des nuits d’argent peignés aux longs roseaux …
Comme la lune sur les eaux,
Comme la rame sur les flots,
Mon âme s’effeuille en sanglots!
Accompaniment
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
The moon sheds itself on the water …
Like long hair combed by the evening breeze,
The scent of summer nights perfumes the black lake.
The great perfumed lake gleams like a mirror.
My oar dips and rises,
My boat glides in the dream.
My boat glides in the sky
On the insubstantial lake …
In cadence, with closed eyes,
Row, O my heart, your indolence
In broad slow swooning strokes.
Over there the moon, against the hillside, listens
To the silence of the gliding boat …
Three large fresh-cut lilies die on my cape.
Is it their soul or mine that reaches out
To your lips, O pale and voluptuous night?
Hair of silver nights combed by tall reeds …
Like the moon on the waters,
Like the oar on the waves,
My soul sheds itself in sobs!
Translation © Richard Stokes, from A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
Accompagnement
French source:
Albert Samain
Accompaniment
English source:
Richard Stokes
Tremble argenté, tilleul, bouleau …
Silver aspen, lime, birch …
La lune s’effeuille sur l’eau …
The moon sheds itself on the water …
Comme de longs cheveux peignés au vent du soir,
Like long hair combed by the evening breeze,
L’odeur des nuits d’été parfume le lac noir.
The scent of summer nights perfumes the black lake.
Le grand lac parfumé brille comme un miroir.
The great perfumed lake gleams like a mirror.
Ma rame tombe et se relève,
My oar dips and rises,
Ma barque glisse dans le rêve.
My boat glides in the dream.
Ma barque glisse dans le ciel
My boat glides in the sky
Sur le lac immatériel …
On the insubstantial lake …
En cadence, les yeux fermés,
In cadence, with closed eyes,
Rame, ô mon cœur, ton indolence
Row, O my heart, your indolence
À larges coups lents et pâmés.
In broad slow swooning strokes.
Là-bas la lune écoute, accoudée au coteau,
Over there the moon, against the hillside, listens
Le silence qu’exhale en glissant le bateau …
To the silence of the gliding boat …
Trois grands lis frais-coupés meurent sur mon manteau.
Three large fresh-cut lilies die on my cape.
Vers tes lèvres, ô Nuit voluptueuse et pâle,
Is it their soul or mine that reaches out
Est-ce leur âme, est-ce mon âme qui s’exhale?
To your lips, O pale and voluptuous night?
Cheveux des nuits d’argent peignés aux longs roseaux …
Hair of silver nights combed by tall reeds …
Comme la lune sur les eaux,
Like the moon on the waters,
Comme la rame sur les flots,
Like the oar on the waves,
Mon âme s’effeuille en sanglots!
My soul sheds itself in sobs!
Composer
Gabriel Fauré
"Gabriel Urbain Fauré (12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers. Among his…
Poet
Albert Samain
Albert Victor Samain was a French poet and writer of the Symbolist school. Born in Lille, his family were Flemish and had long lived in the town or its suburbs. At the time of the poet's birth, his father, Jean-Baptiste Samain, and his mother,…