Songs

Chanson de printemps

by Charles Gounod

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Text & Translation

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Chanson de printemps
French source: Eugène Tourneux

Viens, enfant, la terre s’éveille
Le soleil rit au gazon vert!
La fleur au calice entr’ouvert
Reçoit les baisers de l’abeille.
Respirons cet air pur!
Enivrons-nous d’azure!
Là-haut sur la colline
La neige de pommiers
Parfume les sentiers.

Viens, enfant, voici l’hirondelle
Qui passe en chantant dans les airs.
Ouvre ton âme aux frais concerts
Éclos sous la feuille nouvelle.
Un vent joyeux, là-bas,
Frémit dans les lilas,
C’est la saison bénie,
C’est l’amour, c’est la vie!
Qu’un fleuve de bonheur
Inonde notre cœur!

Viens, enfant, c’est l’heure charmante
Où l’on voudrait rêver à deux.
Mêlons nos rêves et nos yeux
Sous cette verdure naissante.
Salut, règne des fleurs,
Des parfums, des couleurs!
Les suaves haleines
Voltigent sur les plaines,
Le cœur épanoui
Se perd dans l’infini!

Spring song
English translation © Richard Stokes

Come, child, the earth's awakening,
The sun is smiling on the green grass!
With its calyx half-opened
The flower receives the bee's kiss.
Let us breathe this pure air!
Let us get drunk on the blue sky!
Come let us gather hawthorn!
The snow of apple-trees
Fills the paths with fragrance.

Come, child, there's the swallow
Singing on the wing,
Open your soul to the fresh strains
Bursting from beneath young leaves.
A joyful wind over there
Rustles in the lilac,
It is the blest season,
It is love, it is life!
Let a stream of rapture
Flood our hearts!

Come, child, it is the charmed hour,
When we would dream together,
Let us mingle our dreams and our vows
Beneath this greening foliage.
Hail to the kingdom of flowers,
Of scent and colour!
Gentle breezes
Move over the plains,
The radiant heart
Loses itself in infinity!

Translation © Richard Stokes, from A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)

Chanson de printemps
French source: Eugène Tourneux

Spring song
English source: Richard Stokes

Viens, enfant, la terre s’éveille
Come, child, the earth's awakening,
Le soleil rit au gazon vert!
The sun is smiling on the green grass!
La fleur au calice entr’ouvert
With its calyx half-opened
Reçoit les baisers de l’abeille.
The flower receives the bee's kiss.
Respirons cet air pur!
Let us breathe this pure air!
Enivrons-nous d’azure!
Let us get drunk on the blue sky!
Là-haut sur la colline
Come let us gather hawthorn!
La neige de pommiers
The snow of apple-trees
Parfume les sentiers.
Fills the paths with fragrance.

Viens, enfant, voici l’hirondelle
Come, child, there's the swallow
Qui passe en chantant dans les airs.
Singing on the wing,
Ouvre ton âme aux frais concerts
Open your soul to the fresh strains
Éclos sous la feuille nouvelle.
Bursting from beneath young leaves.
Un vent joyeux, là-bas,
A joyful wind over there
Frémit dans les lilas,
Rustles in the lilac,
C’est la saison bénie,
It is the blest season,
C’est l’amour, c’est la vie!
It is love, it is life!
Qu’un fleuve de bonheur
Let a stream of rapture
Inonde notre cœur!
Flood our hearts!

Viens, enfant, c’est l’heure charmante
Come, child, it is the charmed hour,
Où l’on voudrait rêver à deux.
When we would dream together,
Mêlons nos rêves et nos yeux
Let us mingle our dreams and our vows
Sous cette verdure naissante.
Beneath this greening foliage.
Salut, règne des fleurs,
Hail to the kingdom of flowers,
Des parfums, des couleurs!
Of scent and colour!
Les suaves haleines
Gentle breezes
Voltigent sur les plaines,
Move over the plains,
Le cœur épanoui
The radiant heart
Se perd dans l’infini!
Loses itself in infinity!

Composer

Charles Gounod

Charles-François Gounod was a French composer, best known for his Ave Maria, based on a work by Bach, as well as his opera Faust. Read more here.

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