Text & Translation
Les larmes
French source:
Augustine-Malvina Blanchecotte
Si vous couvrez d'oubli tant de maux dérobés,
Si vous lavez ma plaie et si vous êtes douces,
O mes larmes, tombez! tombez!
Mais, si comme autrefois vous êtes meurtrières,
Si vous rongez un cœur qui déjà brûle en soi,
N'ajoutez pas au mal, respectez mes paupières:
O larmes, laissez-moi, laissez-moi!
Oui, laissez moi! je sens ma peine plus cuisante,
Vous avez evoqué tous mes rêves perdus:
Pitié! pitié! pitié! laissez mourir mon âme agonisante!
Larmes, ne tombez pas! ne tombez pas!
Non! non! ne tombez pas!
Tears
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
If you consign to oblivion so many concealed wrongs,
If you wash my wound and if you are gentle,
O tears – then fall! fall!
But if you are destructive, as you were wont to be,
If you gnaw at a heart, which is already ablaze,
Do not add to my woes, spare my eyes:
O tears – leave me! leave me!
Yes, leave me! I feel my searing pain increase,
You have evoked all my lost dreams:
Have pity! pity! pity! Leave my dying soul to pass away!
Tears, do not fall! do not fall!
No! no! do not fall!
Les larmes
French source:
Augustine-Malvina Blanchecotte
Tears
English source:
Richard Stokes
Si vous donnez le calme après tant de secousses,
If you bring calm after so many shocks,
Si vous couvrez d'oubli tant de maux dérobés,
If you consign to oblivion so many concealed wrongs,
Si vous lavez ma plaie et si vous êtes douces,
If you wash my wound and if you are gentle,
O mes larmes, tombez! tombez!
O tears – then fall! fall!
Mais, si comme autrefois vous êtes meurtrières,
But if you are destructive, as you were wont to be,
Si vous rongez un cœur qui déjà brûle en soi,
If you gnaw at a heart, which is already ablaze,
N'ajoutez pas au mal, respectez mes paupières:
Do not add to my woes, spare my eyes:
O larmes, laissez-moi, laissez-moi!
O tears – leave me! leave me!
Oui, laissez moi! je sens ma peine plus cuisante,
Yes, leave me! I feel my searing pain increase,
Vous avez evoqué tous mes rêves perdus:
You have evoked all my lost dreams:
Pitié! pitié! pitié! laissez mourir mon âme agonisante!
Have pity! pity! pity! Leave my dying soul to pass away!
Larmes, ne tombez pas! ne tombez pas!
Tears, do not fall! do not fall!
Non! non! ne tombez pas!
No! no! do not fall!
Composer
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. His works are still among the most popular music in the classical repetoire, and he is widely acknowledged as the first Russian composer to make a lasting international…
