Jane
French source:
Charles-Marie-René Leconte de Lisle
Deux beaux yeux m’ont brisé le cœur.
Rose pourprée et tout humide,
Ce n’était pas sa lèvre en feu;
C’étaient ses yeux d’un si beau bleu
Sous l’or de sa tresse fluide.
Je pâlis et tombe en langueur:
Deux beaux yeux m’ont brisé le cœur.
Toute mon âme fut ravie!
Doux étaient son rire et sa voix;
Mais ses deux yeux bleus, je le vois,
Ont pris mes forces et ma vie!
Je pâlis et tombe en langueur:
Deux beaux yeux m’ont brisé le cœur.
Hélas! la chose est bien certaine:
Si Jane repousse mon vœu,
Dans ses deux yeux d’un si beau bleu
J’aurai puisé ma mort prochaine.
Je pâlis et tombe en langueur:
Deux beaux yeux m’ont brisé le cœur.
I grow pale and listless:
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
two beautiful eyes have broken my heart.
It was not her moist and crimson mouth,
her fiery lips—
it was her eyes of such a lovely blue
beneath the gold of her flowing tresses.
I grow pale and listless:
two beautiful eyes have broken my heart.
All my soul was ravished,
her laughter and her voice were sweet;
but her two blue eyes, I see,
have destroyed my strength and my life.
I grow pale and listless:
two beautiful eyes have broken my heart.
Alas, there can be no doubt:
if Jane rejects my suit,
I shall seek imminent death
in her two eyes of such beautiful blue.
I grow pale and listless:
two beautiful eyes have broken my heart.
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
Jane
French source:
Charles-Marie-René Leconte de Lisle
I grow pale and listless:
English source:
Richard Stokes
Je pâlis et tombe en langueur:
I grow pale and listless:
Deux beaux yeux m’ont brisé le cœur.
two beautiful eyes have broken my heart.
Rose pourprée et tout humide,
It was not her moist and crimson mouth,
Ce n’était pas sa lèvre en feu;
her fiery lips—
C’étaient ses yeux d’un si beau bleu
it was her eyes of such a lovely blue
Sous l’or de sa tresse fluide.
beneath the gold of her flowing tresses.
Je pâlis et tombe en langueur:
I grow pale and listless:
Deux beaux yeux m’ont brisé le cœur.
two beautiful eyes have broken my heart.
Toute mon âme fut ravie!
All my soul was ravished,
Doux étaient son rire et sa voix;
her laughter and her voice were sweet;
Mais ses deux yeux bleus, je le vois,
but her two blue eyes, I see,
Ont pris mes forces et ma vie!
have destroyed my strength and my life.
Je pâlis et tombe en langueur:
I grow pale and listless:
Deux beaux yeux m’ont brisé le cœur.
two beautiful eyes have broken my heart.
Hélas! la chose est bien certaine:
Alas, there can be no doubt:
Si Jane repousse mon vœu,
if Jane rejects my suit,
Dans ses deux yeux d’un si beau bleu
I shall seek imminent death
J’aurai puisé ma mort prochaine.
in her two eyes of such beautiful blue.
Je pâlis et tombe en langueur:
I grow pale and listless:
Deux beaux yeux m’ont brisé le cœur.
two beautiful eyes have broken my heart.
Composer
Claude Debussy
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Poet
Charles-Marie-René Leconte de Lisle
Charles Marie René Leconte de Lisle was a French poet of the Parnassian movement. He is traditionally known by his surname only, Leconte de Lisle. Leconte de Lisle was born on the French overseas island of La Réunion, in the Indian Ocean. He…