'Lamento'. Recorded by TallWall Media.
Lamento
French source:
Théophile Gautier
Je pleurerai toujours ;
Dans la tombe elle emporte
Mon âme et mes amours.
Dans le ciel, sans m'attendre,
Elle s'en retourna ;
L'ange qui l'emmena
Ne voulut pas me prendre.
Que mon sort est amer !
Ah ! sans amour, s'en aller sur la mer !
Sur moi la mer immense
S'étend comme un linceul ;
Je chante ma romance
Que le ciel entend seul.
Ah ! comme elle était belle,
Et comme je l'aimais !
Je n'aimerai jamais
Une femme autant qu'elle.
Que mon sort est amer !
Ah ! sans amour, s'en aller sur la mer !
Lamentation
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
I shall weep for evermore;
To the tomb she takes with her
My soul and all my love.
Without waiting for me
She has returned to Heaven;
The angel who took her away
Did not wish to take me.
How bitter is my fate!
Alas! to set sail loveless across the sea!
The immense night above me
Is spread like a shroud;
I sing my song
Which heaven alone can hear.
Ah! how beautiful she was,
And how I loved her!
I shall never love a woman
As I loved her.
How bitter is my fate!
Alas! to set sail loveless across the sea!
Lamento
French source:
Théophile Gautier
Lamentation
English source:
Richard Stokes
Ma belle amie est morte :
My dearest love is dead:
Je pleurerai toujours ;
I shall weep for evermore;
Dans la tombe elle emporte
To the tomb she takes with her
Mon âme et mes amours.
My soul and all my love.
Dans le ciel, sans m'attendre,
Without waiting for me
Elle s'en retourna ;
She has returned to Heaven;
L'ange qui l'emmena
The angel who took her away
Ne voulut pas me prendre.
Did not wish to take me.
Que mon sort est amer !
How bitter is my fate!
Ah ! sans amour, s'en aller sur la mer !
Alas! to set sail loveless across the sea!
Sur moi la mer immense
The immense night above me
S'étend comme un linceul ;
Is spread like a shroud;
Je chante ma romance
I sing my song
Que le ciel entend seul.
Which heaven alone can hear.
Ah ! comme elle était belle,
Ah! how beautiful she was,
Et comme je l'aimais !
And how I loved her!
Je n'aimerai jamais
I shall never love a woman
Une femme autant qu'elle.
As I loved her.
Que mon sort est amer !
How bitter is my fate!
Ah ! sans amour, s'en aller sur la mer !
Alas! to set sail loveless across the sea!
Composer
Pauline Viardot
Pauline Viardot, née Garcia (1821-1910) was one of the most remarkable, accomplished musical professionals of the 19th century. Born into a family of music professionals, she wanted to be a pianist, but following the early death of her sister…
Poet
Théophile Gautier
Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic. While Gautier was an ardent defender of Romanticism, his work is difficult to classify and remains a point of reference for many…