Envoi de fleurs
French source:
Émile Augier
Ces belles fleurs,
Elles me viennent d’où la joie
Et les douleurs;
Elles me viennent d’où ma vie
Pend désormais,
De celle-là pour qui j’oublie
Ceux que j’aimais!
Si l’on cherche pourquoi je l’aime
À cet excès
Hélas! je n’en sais rien moi-même.
Ce que je sais,
C’est que dans ses yeux on voit luire
Tout son esprit
Et qu’au coin de son fin sourire
Mon cœur se prit!
Comme un oiseau qui s’effarouche,
Et fuit dans l’air,
Plus je le cherche sur sa bouche
Plus il se perd.
C’est pourquoi celle qui m’envoie
Ces belles fleurs
Est celle d’où me vient la joie
Et les douleurs!
A gift of flowers
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
These beautiful flowers,
They come to me from where
Joy and sorrow dwell,
They come to me from one
On whom my life depends,
From her for whom I forget
All those that I once loved!
If you should wonder why I love her
So excessively,
Alas, myself, I do not know,
I only know
That in her eyes I see
Her whole spirit gleaming,
And that the corners of her pretty smile
Have carried off my heart!
Like a startled bird
That flies into the air,
The more I seek her smile,
The more it hides.
That is why she who sends me
These beautiful flowers
Is the cause of my joy
Any my sorrow!
Translation © Richard Stokes, from A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
Envoi de fleurs
French source:
Émile Augier
A gift of flowers
English source:
Richard Stokes
Si l’on veut savoir qui m’envoie
If you would know who sends me
Ces belles fleurs,
These beautiful flowers,
Elles me viennent d’où la joie
They come to me from where
Et les douleurs;
Joy and sorrow dwell,
Elles me viennent d’où ma vie
They come to me from one
Pend désormais,
On whom my life depends,
De celle-là pour qui j’oublie
From her for whom I forget
Ceux que j’aimais!
All those that I once loved!
Si l’on cherche pourquoi je l’aime
If you should wonder why I love her
À cet excès
So excessively,
Hélas! je n’en sais rien moi-même.
Alas, myself, I do not know,
Ce que je sais,
I only know
C’est que dans ses yeux on voit luire
That in her eyes I see
Tout son esprit
Her whole spirit gleaming,
Et qu’au coin de son fin sourire
And that the corners of her pretty smile
Mon cœur se prit!
Have carried off my heart!
Comme un oiseau qui s’effarouche,
Like a startled bird
Et fuit dans l’air,
That flies into the air,
Plus je le cherche sur sa bouche
The more I seek her smile,
Plus il se perd.
The more it hides.
C’est pourquoi celle qui m’envoie
That is why she who sends me
Ces belles fleurs
These beautiful flowers
Est celle d’où me vient la joie
Is the cause of my joy
Et les douleurs!
Any my sorrow!
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.
Poet
Émile Augier
Guillaume Victor Émile Augier was a French dramatist.