Donc, ce sera par un clair jour d'été
(1870)
French source:
Paul Verlaine
Le grand soleil, complice de ma joie,
Fera, parmi le satin et la soie,
Plus belle encor votre chère beauté;
Le ciel tout bleu, comme une haute tente,
Frissonnera somptueux à longs plis
Sur nos deux fronts qu'auront pâlis
L'émotion du bonheur et l'attente;
Et quand le soir viendra, l'air sera doux
Qui se jouera, caressant, dans vos voiles,
Et les regards paisibles des étoiles
Bienveillamment souriront aux époux.
So, on a bright summer day it shall be
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
The great sun, my partner in joy,
Shall make, amid the satin and the silk,
Your dear beauty lovelier still;
The sky, all blue, like a tall canopy,
Shall quiver sumptuously in the long folds
Above our two happy brows, grown pale
With pleasure and expectancy;
And when evening comes, the breeze shall be soft
And play caressingly about your veils,
And the peaceful stars looking down
Shall smile benevolently on man and wife.
Translation © Richard Stokes, from A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
Donc, ce sera par un clair jour d'été
(1870)
French source:
Paul Verlaine
So, on a bright summer day it shall be
English source:
Richard Stokes
Donc, ce sera par un clair jour d'été
So, on a bright summer day it shall be:
Le grand soleil, complice de ma joie,
The great sun, my partner in joy,
Fera, parmi le satin et la soie,
Shall make, amid the satin and the silk,
Plus belle encor votre chère beauté;
Your dear beauty lovelier still;
Le ciel tout bleu, comme une haute tente,
The sky, all blue, like a tall canopy,
Frissonnera somptueux à longs plis
Shall quiver sumptuously in the long folds
Sur nos deux fronts qu'auront pâlis
Above our two happy brows, grown pale
L'émotion du bonheur et l'attente;
With pleasure and expectancy;
Et quand le soir viendra, l'air sera doux
And when evening comes, the breeze shall be soft
Qui se jouera, caressant, dans vos voiles,
And play caressingly about your veils,
Et les regards paisibles des étoiles
And the peaceful stars looking down
Bienveillamment souriront aux époux.
Shall smile benevolently on man and wife.
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…