Songs

La belle au bois dormant

by Claude Debussy

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Text & Translation

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La belle au bois dormant
French source: Vincent Hyspa

Des trous à son pourpoint vermeil,
Un chevalier va par la brune,
Les cheveux tout pleins de soleil,
Sous un casque couleur de lune.
Dormez toujours, dormez au bois,
L’anneau, la Belle, à votre doigt.

Dans la poussière des batailles
Il a tué loyal et droit,
En frappant d’estoc et de taille,
Ainsi que frapperait un roi.
Dormez au bois, où la verveine,
Fleurit avec la marjolaine.

Et par les monts et par la plaine,
Monté sur son grand destrier,
Il court, il court à perdre haleine,
Et tout droit sur ses étriers.
Dormez la Belle au Bois, rêvez
Qu’un prince vous épouserez.

Dans la forêt des lilas blancs,
Sous l’éperon d’or qui l’excite,
Son destrier perle de sang
Les lilas blancs, et va plus vite.
Dormez au bois, dormez la Belle
Sous vos courtines de dentelle.

Mais il a pris l’anneau vermeil,
Le chevalier qui par la brune,
A des cheveux pleins de soleil,
Sous un casque couleur de lune.
Ne dormez plus, la Belle au Bois,
L’anneau n’est plus à votre doigt.

The sleeping beauty
English translation © Richard Stokes

A knight with holes in his bright red doublet
Travels through the dusk,
With his hair gleaming with sunlight
Beneath a moon-coloured helmet.
Sleep on, sleep in the wood,
Beauteous One, the ring on your finger.

In the dust of battles
He has killed, loyal and steadfast,
Laying about him with might and main,
Like a king.
Sleep in the wood, where verbena
Flowers with marjoram.

And over mountains and across plains,
Mounted on his great charger,
He gallops, gallops breathlessly,
Standing upright in his stirrups.
Sleep, Sleeping Beauty, dream
That a prince will wed you.

In the forest of white lilac,
Goaded by golden spurs,
His charger spatters the white lilac
With drops of blood, and gallops more swiftly.
Sleep in the wood, sleep, O Beauteous One,
Beneath your curtains of lace.

But he has taken the bright red ring,
The knight with his sun-flecked hair,
Riding through the dusk
In his moon-coloured helmet.
Sleep no longer, Sleeping Beauty,
The ring is gone from your finger.

Translation © Richard Stokes, author of A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)

La belle au bois dormant
French source: Vincent Hyspa

The sleeping beauty
English source: Richard Stokes

Des trous à son pourpoint vermeil,
A knight with holes in his bright red doublet
Un chevalier va par la brune,
Travels through the dusk,
Les cheveux tout pleins de soleil,
With his hair gleaming with sunlight
Sous un casque couleur de lune.
Beneath a moon-coloured helmet.
Dormez toujours, dormez au bois,
Sleep on, sleep in the wood,
L’anneau, la Belle, à votre doigt.
Beauteous One, the ring on your finger.

Dans la poussière des batailles
In the dust of battles
Il a tué loyal et droit,
He has killed, loyal and steadfast,
En frappant d’estoc et de taille,
Laying about him with might and main,
Ainsi que frapperait un roi.
Like a king.
Dormez au bois, où la verveine,
Sleep in the wood, where verbena
Fleurit avec la marjolaine.
Flowers with marjoram.

Et par les monts et par la plaine,
And over mountains and across plains,
Monté sur son grand destrier,
Mounted on his great charger,
Il court, il court à perdre haleine,
He gallops, gallops breathlessly,
Et tout droit sur ses étriers.
Standing upright in his stirrups.
Dormez la Belle au Bois, rêvez
Sleep, Sleeping Beauty, dream
Qu’un prince vous épouserez.
That a prince will wed you.

Dans la forêt des lilas blancs,
In the forest of white lilac,
Sous l’éperon d’or qui l’excite,
Goaded by golden spurs,
Son destrier perle de sang
His charger spatters the white lilac
Les lilas blancs, et va plus vite.
With drops of blood, and gallops more swiftly.
Dormez au bois, dormez la Belle
Sleep in the wood, sleep, O Beauteous One,
Sous vos courtines de dentelle.
Beneath your curtains of lace.

Mais il a pris l’anneau vermeil,
But he has taken the bright red ring,
Le chevalier qui par la brune,
The knight with his sun-flecked hair,
A des cheveux pleins de soleil,
Riding through the dusk
Sous un casque couleur de lune.
In his moon-coloured helmet.
Ne dormez plus, la Belle au Bois,
Sleep no longer, Sleeping Beauty,
L’anneau n’est plus à votre doigt.
The ring is gone from your finger.

Composer

Claude Debussy

(Achille) Claude Debussy was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Please click…

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