Le matelot qui tombe à l'eau (Chanson Triste)
French source:
Maurice Bouchor
Dans la brune;
Ce doit être un matelot
Qui veut se jeter à l’eau
Pour la lune.
La lune éclaire le flot
Qui sanglote,
Le matelot tombe à l’eau …
On entend traîner sur l’eau
Quelques notes.
Sad Song
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Through the mist;
It must be a sailor
Wanting to hurl himself into the water
For the moon.
The moon cleaves the waves,
The sobbing waves,
The sailor falls into the water …
A few notes are heard
Drifting across the water.
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
Le matelot qui tombe à l'eau (Chanson Triste)
French source:
Maurice Bouchor
Sad Song
English source:
Richard Stokes
On entend un chant sur l’eau
Singing is heard on the water
Dans la brune;
Through the mist;
Ce doit être un matelot
It must be a sailor
Qui veut se jeter à l’eau
Wanting to hurl himself into the water
Pour la lune.
For the moon.
La lune éclaire le flot
The moon cleaves the waves,
Qui sanglote,
The sobbing waves,
Le matelot tombe à l’eau …
The sailor falls into the water …
On entend traîner sur l’eau
A few notes are heard
Quelques notes.
Drifting across the water.
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…
Poet
Maurice Bouchor
Maurice Bouchor was a French poet.