Avant que tu ne t'en ailles
French source:
Paul Verlaine
Pâle étoile du matin
- Mille cailles
Chantent, chantent dans le thym. -
Tourne devers le poète
Dont les yeux sont pleins d'amour;
- L'alouette
Monte au ciel avec le jour. -
Tourne ton regard que noie
L'aurore dans son azur;
- Quelle joie
Parmi les champs de blé mûr! -
Puis fais luire ma pensée
Là-bas - bien loin, oh, bien loin !
- La rosée
Gaîment brille sur le foin. -
Dans le doux rêve où s'agite
Ma mie endormie encor...
- Vite, vite,
Car voici le soleil d'or. -
Before you fade
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Pale morning star,
- A thousand quail
Are singing, singing in the thyme. -
Turn to the poet
Whose eyes are full of love,
- The lark
Soars heavenward with the day. -
Turn your gaze drowned
In the blue of dawn;
- What delight
Among the fields of ripened corn! -
And make my thoughts gleam
Yonder, far, ah far away!
- The dew
Glints brightly on the hay. -
Into the sweet dream where still asleep
My love is stirring...
- Make haste, make haste,
For here's the golden sun.
Translation © Richard Stokes, from A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
Avant que tu ne t'en ailles
French source:
Paul Verlaine
Before you fade
English source:
Richard Stokes
Avant que tu ne t'en ailles,
Before you fade,
Pâle étoile du matin
Pale morning star,
- Mille cailles
- A thousand quail
Chantent, chantent dans le thym. -
Are singing, singing in the thyme. -
Tourne devers le poète
Turn to the poet
Dont les yeux sont pleins d'amour;
Whose eyes are full of love,
- L'alouette
- The lark
Monte au ciel avec le jour. -
Soars heavenward with the day. -
Tourne ton regard que noie
Turn your gaze drowned
L'aurore dans son azur;
In the blue of dawn;
- Quelle joie
- What delight
Parmi les champs de blé mûr! -
Among the fields of ripened corn! -
Puis fais luire ma pensée
And make my thoughts gleam
Là-bas - bien loin, oh, bien loin !
Yonder, far, ah far away!
- La rosée
- The dew
Gaîment brille sur le foin. -
Glints brightly on the hay. -
Dans le doux rêve où s'agite
Into the sweet dream where still asleep
Ma mie endormie encor...
My love is stirring...
- Vite, vite,
- Make haste, make haste,
Car voici le soleil d'or. -
For here's the golden sun.
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
Paul Verlaine
Paul-Marie Verlaine was a French poet associated with the Symbolist movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the fin de siècle in international and French poetry. Born in Metz, Verlaine was educated at the Lycée Impérial…