La fiancée perdue
French source:
Olivier Messiaen
C’est l’ange de la bonté,
C’est un après-midi ensoleillé,
C’est le vent sur les fleurs.
C’est un sourire pur comme un cœur d’enfant,
C’est un grand lys blanc comme une aile, très haut dans une coupe d’or!
O Jésus, bénissez-la!
Elle!
Donnez-lui votre Grâce puissante!
Qu’elle ignore la souffrance, les larmes!
Donnez-lui le repos Jésus!
The lost fiancée
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
She is the angel of kindness,
She is a sun-drenched afternoon,
She is the wind on the flowers.
She is a smile as pure as a child’s heart,
She is a tall lily, white as a wing, towering in a gold vase!
O Jesus, bless her!
Her!
Bestow on her your powerful Grace!
May she never know pain and tears!
Bestow peace of mind on her, O Jesus!
Translations by Richard Stokes, from A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
La fiancée perdue
French source:
Olivier Messiaen
The lost fiancée
English source:
Richard Stokes
C’est la douce fiancée,
She is the gentle fiancée,
C’est l’ange de la bonté,
She is the angel of kindness,
C’est un après-midi ensoleillé,
She is a sun-drenched afternoon,
C’est le vent sur les fleurs.
She is the wind on the flowers.
C’est un sourire pur comme un cœur d’enfant,
She is a smile as pure as a child’s heart,
C’est un grand lys blanc comme une aile, très haut dans une coupe d’or!
She is a tall lily, white as a wing, towering in a gold vase!
O Jésus, bénissez-la!
O Jesus, bless her!
Elle!
Her!
Donnez-lui votre Grâce puissante!
Bestow on her your powerful Grace!
Qu’elle ignore la souffrance, les larmes!
May she never know pain and tears!
Donnez-lui le repos Jésus!
Bestow peace of mind on her, O Jesus!
Composer
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist. He wrote music for chamber ensembles and orchestra, vocal music, as well as for solo organ and piano, and also experimented with the use of novel electronic…
