Text & Translation
Le printemps
French source:
Théodore de Banville
Les thyrses des lilas fleurissent.
Les amantes, qui te chérissent
Délivrent leurs cheveux flottants.
Sous les rayons d’or éclatants
Les anciens lierres se flétrissent.
Te voilà, rire du Printemps!
Les thyrses des lilas fleurissent.
Couchons-nous au bord des étangs,
Que nos maux amers se guérissent!
Mille espoirs fabuleux nourrissent
Nos cœurs émus et palpitants.
Te voilà, rire du Printemps!
The Spring
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Sprays of lilacs are in bloom.
Lovers who hold you dear
Unbind their flowing hair.
Beneath the beams of glistening gold
The ancient ivy withers.
Smiling Spring, you have arrived!
Sprays of lilacs are in bloom.
Let us lie alongside pools
That our bitter wounds may heal!
A thousand fabled hopes nourish
Our full and beating hearts.
Smiling Spring, you have arrived!
Le printemps
French source:
Théodore de Banville
The Spring
English source:
Richard Stokes
Te voilà, rire du Printemps!
Smiling Spring, you have arrived!
Les thyrses des lilas fleurissent.
Sprays of lilacs are in bloom.
Les amantes, qui te chérissent
Lovers who hold you dear
Délivrent leurs cheveux flottants.
Unbind their flowing hair.
Sous les rayons d’or éclatants
Beneath the beams of glistening gold
Les anciens lierres se flétrissent.
The ancient ivy withers.
Te voilà, rire du Printemps!
Smiling Spring, you have arrived!
Les thyrses des lilas fleurissent.
Sprays of lilacs are in bloom.
Couchons-nous au bord des étangs,
Let us lie alongside pools
Que nos maux amers se guérissent!
That our bitter wounds may heal!
Mille espoirs fabuleux nourrissent
A thousand fabled hopes nourish
Nos cœurs émus et palpitants.
Our full and beating hearts.
Te voilà, rire du Printemps!
Smiling Spring, you have arrived!
Composer
Reynaldo Hahn
Reynaldo Hahn was a French composer, conductor and music critic. He moved to France at the age of three from Venezuela. Read more here.
Poet
Théodore de Banville
Théodore Faullain de Banville was a French poet and writer.