Adieu
French source:
Charles Grandmougin
Et les frais manteaux diaprés des prés;
Les longs soupirs, les bien-aimées, fumées!
On voit dans ce monde léger changer
Plus vite que les flots des grèves, nos rêves,
Plus vite que le givre en fleurs, nos cœurs!
À vous l’on se croyait fidèle, cruelle,
Mais hélas! les plus longs amours sont courts!
Et je dis en quittant vos charmes, sans larmes,
Presqu’au moment de mon aveu, Adieu!
Farewell
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
And the cool dappled mantle of the meadows;
Long-drawn sighs, loved ones, all smoke!
In this fickle world we see our dreams
Change more swiftly than waves on the shore,
Our hearts change more swiftly than frosted flowers!
To you I thought I would be faithful, cruel one,
But alas! the longest loves are short!
And I say, taking leave of your charms, without tears,
Almost at the moment of my avowal, Farewell!
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
Adieu
French source:
Charles Grandmougin
Farewell
English source:
Richard Stokes
Comme tout meurt vite, la rose déclose,
How swiftly all things die, the rose in bloom,
Et les frais manteaux diaprés des prés;
And the cool dappled mantle of the meadows;
Les longs soupirs, les bien-aimées, fumées!
Long-drawn sighs, loved ones, all smoke!
On voit dans ce monde léger changer
In this fickle world we see our dreams
Plus vite que les flots des grèves, nos rêves,
Change more swiftly than waves on the shore,
Plus vite que le givre en fleurs, nos cœurs!
Our hearts change more swiftly than frosted flowers!
À vous l’on se croyait fidèle, cruelle,
To you I thought I would be faithful, cruel one,
Mais hélas! les plus longs amours sont courts!
But alas! the longest loves are short!
Et je dis en quittant vos charmes, sans larmes,
And I say, taking leave of your charms, without tears,
Presqu’au moment de mon aveu, Adieu!
Almost at the moment of my avowal, Farewell!
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
Charles Grandmougin
Charles-Jean Grandmougin was a French poet and playwright. He lived in Paris. Two of his poems appeared in the third and final volume of Le Parnasse contemporain (1876). His poetry has been set as songs by composers including Fauré, Chaminade,…