L’heure exquise
(1870)
French source:
Paul Verlaine
Luit dans les bois;
De chaque branche
Part une voix
Sous la ramée...
Ô bien aimée.
L'étang reflète,
Profond miroir,
La silhouette
Du saule noir
Où le vent pleure...
Rêvons, c'est l'heure.
Un vaste et tendre
Apaisement
Semble descendre
Du firmament
Que l'astre irise...
C'est l'heure exquise.
Exquisite hour
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Gleams in the woods;
From every branch
There comes a voice
Beneath the boughs...
O my beloved.
The pool reflects,
Deep mirror,
The silhouette
Of the black willow
Where the wind is weeping...
Let us dream, it is the hour.
A vast and tender
Consolation
Seems to fall
From the sky
The moon illumines...
Exquisite hour.
Translation © Richard Stokes, from A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
L’heure exquise
(1870)
French source:
Paul Verlaine
Exquisite hour
English source:
Richard Stokes
La lune blanche
The white moon
Luit dans les bois;
Gleams in the woods;
De chaque branche
From every branch
Part une voix
There comes a voice
Sous la ramée...
Beneath the boughs...
Ô bien aimée.
O my beloved.
L'étang reflète,
The pool reflects,
Profond miroir,
Deep mirror,
La silhouette
The silhouette
Du saule noir
Of the black willow
Où le vent pleure...
Where the wind is weeping...
Rêvons, c'est l'heure.
Let us dream, it is the hour.
Un vaste et tendre
A vast and tender
Apaisement
Consolation
Semble descendre
Seems to fall
Du firmament
From the sky
Que l'astre irise...
The moon illumines...
C'est l'heure exquise.
Exquisite hour.
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
Paul Verlaine
Paul-Marie Verlaine was a French poet associated with the Symbolist movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the fin de siècle in international and French poetry. Born in Metz, Verlaine was educated at the Lycée Impérial…
Performances
Previously performed at:
- Song at Wolfson: Ella Taylor 02 May 2024
- 1. The Moon: Angharad Rowlands & Joseph Cavalli-Price 21 Apr 2023
- 71. Carolyn Sampson, Joseph Middleton: A Verlaine Songbook 28 Oct 2022
- 7. Benjamin Appl & Thomas Dunford: The Songwriter 15 Oct 2022
- La Bonne Chanson: Mark Padmore & Imogen Cooper 19 Oct 2017