Reflets
French source:
Maurice Maeterlinck
Mon âme a peur, mon âme a peur.
Et la lune luit dans mon coeur
Plongé dans les sources du rêve !
Sous l'ennui morne des roseaux.
Seul les reflets profonds des choses,
Des lys, des palmes et des roses
Pleurent encore au fond des eaux.
Les fleurs s'effeuillent une à une
Sur le reflet du firmament.
Pour descendre, éternellement
Sous l'eau du songe et dans la lune.
Reflections
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
My soul is afraid, my soul is afraid.
And the moon shines into my heart
That is bathed in the dream’s source!
Beneath the sad tedium of the reeds,
Only the deep reflection of things,
Of lilies, palms and roses,
Still weep on the water’s bed.
One by one the flowers shed their leaves
Upon the firmament’s reflection
To descend, eternally,
Beneath the dream’s water and into the moon.
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
Reflets
French source:
Maurice Maeterlinck
Reflections
English source:
Richard Stokes
Sous l'eau du songe qui s'élève
Beneath the water of the dream that rises,
Mon âme a peur, mon âme a peur.
My soul is afraid, my soul is afraid.
Et la lune luit dans mon coeur
And the moon shines into my heart
Plongé dans les sources du rêve !
That is bathed in the dream’s source!
Sous l'ennui morne des roseaux.
Beneath the sad tedium of the reeds,
Seul les reflets profonds des choses,
Only the deep reflection of things,
Des lys, des palmes et des roses
Of lilies, palms and roses,
Pleurent encore au fond des eaux.
Still weep on the water’s bed.
Les fleurs s'effeuillent une à une
One by one the flowers shed their leaves
Sur le reflet du firmament.
Upon the firmament’s reflection
Pour descendre, éternellement
To descend, eternally,
Sous l'eau du songe et dans la lune.
Beneath the dream’s water and into the moon.
Composer
Lili Boulanger
Lili Boulanger (1893-1918) is often described as one of the most gifted composers of the twentieth century, however, her promise was cut short by early death. She achieved a degree of posthumous renown which is exceptional among women…
Poet
Maurice Maeterlinck
Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was a Fleming, but wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911 "in appreciation of his many-sided literary activities, and…
Performances
Previously performed at:
- Young Artist Auditions (Session 6) 20 Apr 2024
- 76. The Hermes Experiment: I Find Planets 19 Oct 2021
- 9. Stories in Song: Stéphane Degout & Cédric Tiberghien 12 Oct 2019
- Oxford Lieder at Fairlight Hall: Rozanna Madylus Sings Alma and Gustav Mahler, Lili Boulanger and Rebecca Clarke 10 Mar 2019
- Song at Wolfson / Rozanna Madylus: Mahler Rückert Lieder 28 Feb 2019
- Debussy & Boulanger: Wolfgang Holzmair & Roger Vignoles 21 Oct 2018