Songs

Chanson à Dulcinée

by Jacques Ibert From Quatre chansons de Don Quichotte

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Text & Translation

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Chanson à Dulcinée
French source: Alexandre Arnoux

Un an me dure la journée
Si je ne vois ma Dulcinée.

Mais, amour a peint son visage,
Afin d’adoucir ma langueur,
Dans la fontaine et le nuage,
Dans chaque aurore et chaque fleur.

Un an me dure la journée
Si je ne vois ma Dulcinée.

Toujours proche et toujours lointaine,
Étoile de mes longs chemins.
Le vent m’apporte son haleine
Quand il passe sur les jasmins.

Un an me dure la journée
Si je ne vois ma Dulcinée.

Song to Dulcinea
English translation © Richard Stokes

A day seems like a year
If I do not see my Dulcinea.

But to sweeten my languishing,
Love has painted her face
In fountains and clouds,
In every dawn and every flower.

A day seems like a year
If I do not see my Dulcinea.

Ever near and ever far,
Star of my weary journeying,
Her breath is brought me on the breeze,
As it passes over jasmine flowers.

A day seems like a year
If I do not see my Dulcinea.



Translations by Richard Stokes, from _A French Song Companion_ (Oxford, 2000)

Chanson à Dulcinée
French source: Alexandre Arnoux

Song to Dulcinea
English source: Richard Stokes

Un an me dure la journée
A day seems like a year
Si je ne vois ma Dulcinée.
If I do not see my Dulcinea.

Mais, amour a peint son visage,
But to sweeten my languishing,
Afin d’adoucir ma langueur,
Love has painted her face
Dans la fontaine et le nuage,
In fountains and clouds,
Dans chaque aurore et chaque fleur.
In every dawn and every flower.

Un an me dure la journée
A day seems like a year
Si je ne vois ma Dulcinée.
If I do not see my Dulcinea.

Toujours proche et toujours lointaine,
Ever near and ever far,
Étoile de mes longs chemins.
Star of my weary journeying,
Le vent m’apporte son haleine
Her breath is brought me on the breeze,
Quand il passe sur les jasmins.
As it passes over jasmine flowers.

Un an me dure la journée
A day seems like a year
Si je ne vois ma Dulcinée.
If I do not see my Dulcinea.

Composer

Jacques Ibert

Jacques François Antoine Marie Ibert was a French composer of classical music.  Read more here.

Poet

Alexandre Arnoux

Alexandre Arnoux was a French screenwriter.

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