Chanson du pêcheur
French source:
Théophile Gautier
Je pleurerai toujours;
Sous la tombe elle emporte
Mon âme et mes amours.
Dans le ciel, sans m’attendre,
Elle s’en retourna;
L’ange qui l’emmena
Ne voulut pas me prendre.
Que mon sort est amer!
Ah! sans amour s’en aller sur la mer!
La blanche créature
Est couchée au cercueil;
Comme dans la nature
Tout me paraît en deuil!
La colombe oubliée
Pleure et songe à l’absent;
Mon âme pleure et sent
Qu’elle est dépareillée.
Que mon sort est amer!
Ah! sans amour s’en aller sur la mer!
Sur moi la nuit immense
Plane comme un linceul,
Je chante ma romance
Que le ciel entend seul.
Ah! comme elle était belle,
Et combien je l’aimais!
Je n’aimerai jamais
Une femme autant qu’elle
Que mon sort est amer!
Ah! sans amour s’en aller sur la mer!
Fisherman's song
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
I shall weep for evermore;
To the tomb she takes with her
My soul and all my love.
Without waiting for me
She has returned to Heaven;
The angel who took her away
Did not wish to take me.
How bitter is my fate!
Alas! to set sail loveless across the sea!
The pure white soul
Lies in her coffin.
How everything in nature
Seems to mourn!
The forsaken dove
Weeps, dreaming of its absent mate;
My soul weeps and feels
Itself adrift.
How bitter is my fate!
Alas! to set sail loveless across the sea!
The immense night above me
Is spread like a shroud;
I sing my song
Which heaven alone can hear.
Ah! how beautiful she was,
And how I loved her!
I shall never love a woman
As I loved her.
How bitter is my fate!
Alas! to set sail loveless across the sea!
Chanson du pêcheur
French source:
Théophile Gautier
Fisherman's song
English source:
Richard Stokes
Ma belle amie est morte,
My dearest love is dead:
Je pleurerai toujours;
I shall weep for evermore;
Sous la tombe elle emporte
To the tomb she takes with her
Mon âme et mes amours.
My soul and all my love.
Dans le ciel, sans m’attendre,
Without waiting for me
Elle s’en retourna;
She has returned to Heaven;
L’ange qui l’emmena
The angel who took her away
Ne voulut pas me prendre.
Did not wish to take me.
Que mon sort est amer!
How bitter is my fate!
Ah! sans amour s’en aller sur la mer!
Alas! to set sail loveless across the sea!
La blanche créature
The pure white soul
Est couchée au cercueil;
Lies in her coffin.
Comme dans la nature
How everything in nature
Tout me paraît en deuil!
Seems to mourn!
La colombe oubliée
The forsaken dove
Pleure et songe à l’absent;
Weeps, dreaming of its absent mate;
Mon âme pleure et sent
My soul weeps and feels
Qu’elle est dépareillée.
Itself adrift.
Que mon sort est amer!
How bitter is my fate!
Ah! sans amour s’en aller sur la mer!
Alas! to set sail loveless across the sea!
Sur moi la nuit immense
The immense night above me
Plane comme un linceul,
Is spread like a shroud;
Je chante ma romance
I sing my song
Que le ciel entend seul.
Which heaven alone can hear.
Ah! comme elle était belle,
Ah! how beautiful she was,
Et combien je l’aimais!
And how I loved her!
Je n’aimerai jamais
I shall never love a woman
Une femme autant qu’elle
As I loved her.
Que mon sort est amer!
How bitter is my fate!
Ah! sans amour s’en aller sur la mer!
Alas! to set sail loveless across the sea!
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
Théophile Gautier
Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic. While Gautier was an ardent defender of Romanticism, his work is difficult to classify and remains a point of reference for many…