Bleuet
French source:
Guillaume Apollinaire
De vingt ans
Qui as vu des choses si affreuses
Que penses-tu des hommes de ton enfance
Tu connais la bravoure et la ruse
Tu as vu la mort en face plus de cent fois
Tu ne sais pas ce que c’est que la vie
Transmets ton intrépidité
À ceux qui viendront
Après toi
Jeune homme
Tu es joyeux ta mémoire est ensanglantée
Ton âme est rouge aussi
De joie
Tu as absorbé la vie de ceux qui sont morts près de toi
Tu as de la décision
Il est 17 heures et tu saurais
Mourir
Sinon mieux que tes aînés
Du moins plus pieusement
Car tu connais mieux la mort que la vie
Ô douceur d’autrefois
Lenteur immémoriale
Rookie
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Of twenty,
You who have seen such horrible things,
What do you think of the men from your childhood?
You know what bravery is and cunning
You have faced death more than a hundred times
You do not know what life is
Hand down your fearlessness
To those who shall come
After you
Young man
You are joyous your memory is steeped in blood
Your soul is red also
With joy
You have absorbed the life of those who died beside you
You are resolute
It is 1700 hrs and you would know
How to die
If not better than your elders
At least with greater piety
For you are better acquainted with death than life
Oh sweetness of bygone days
Slow-moving beyond all memory
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
Bleuet
French source:
Guillaume Apollinaire
Rookie
English source:
Richard Stokes
Jeune homme
Young man
De vingt ans
Of twenty,
Qui as vu des choses si affreuses
You who have seen such horrible things,
Que penses-tu des hommes de ton enfance
What do you think of the men from your childhood?
Tu connais la bravoure et la ruse
You know what bravery is and cunning
Tu as vu la mort en face plus de cent fois
Tu ne sais pas ce que c’est que la vie
You have faced death more than a hundred times
Transmets ton intrépidité
Hand down your fearlessness
À ceux qui viendront
To those who shall come
Après toi
After you
Jeune homme
Tu es joyeux ta mémoire est ensanglantée
Young man
Ton âme est rouge aussi
You are joyous your memory is steeped in blood
De joie
Your soul is red also
Tu as absorbé la vie de ceux qui sont morts près de toi
With joy
Tu as de la décision
You are resolute
Il est 17 heures et tu saurais
It is 1700 hrs and you would know
Mourir
How to die
Sinon mieux que tes aînés
If not better than your elders
Du moins plus pieusement
At least with greater piety
Car tu connais mieux la mort que la vie
For you are better acquainted with death than life
Ô douceur d’autrefois
Oh sweetness of bygone days
Lenteur immémoriale
Slow-moving beyond all memory
Composer
Francis Poulenc
Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (F7 January 1899 – 30 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include mélodies, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Read the full…
Poet
Guillaume Apollinaire
Guillaume Apollinaire (26 August 1880 – 9 November 1918) was a French poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist, and art critic of Polish-Belarusian descent. Apollinaire is considered one of the foremost poets of the early 20th century, as…
Performances
Previously performed at:
- 23. French Connections 11 Oct 2021
- Song at Wolfson / Joshua Owen Mills: Beethoven, Fauré, Poulenc and Quilter 09 May 2019
- Oxford Lieder at Fairlight Hall: Joshua Owen Mills sings Fauré, Poulenc and Quilter 05 May 2019
- Mastercourse Day One 23 Oct 2017