Soleils couchants (Une aube affaiblie)

'Soleil couchants'. Recorded by TallWall Media.

Text & Translation

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Soleils couchants (Une aube affaiblie)
French source: Paul Verlaine

Une aube affaiblie
Verse par les champs
La mélancolie
Des soleils couchants.
La mélancolie
Berce de doux chants
Mon cœur qui s’oublie
Aux soleils couchants.
Et d’étranges rêves,
Comme des soleils
Couchants sur les grèves,
Fantômes vermeils,
Défilent sans trêves,
Défilent, pareils
À des grands soleils
Couchants sur les grèves.

Sunsets
English translation © Richard Stokes

A faint dawn
Sheds on fields
The melancholy
Of setting suns.
The melancholy
Lulls with sweet songs
My heart lost in
The setting suns.
And strange dreams
That seem like suns
Setting on shores –
Roseate ghosts –
Drift endlessly,
Are drifting still, like
Mighty suns
Setting on shores.

Soleils couchants (Une aube affaiblie)
French source: Paul Verlaine

Sunsets
English source: Richard Stokes

Une aube affaiblie
A faint dawn
Verse par les champs
Sheds on fields
La mélancolie
The melancholy
Des soleils couchants.
Of setting suns.
La mélancolie
The melancholy
Berce de doux chants
Lulls with sweet songs
Mon cœur qui s’oublie
My heart lost in
Aux soleils couchants.
The setting suns.
Et d’étranges rêves,
And strange dreams
Comme des soleils
That seem like suns
Couchants sur les grèves,
Setting on shores –
Fantômes vermeils,
Roseate ghosts –
Défilent sans trêves,
Drift endlessly,
Défilent, pareils
Are drifting still, like
À des grands soleils
Mighty suns
Couchants sur les grèves.
Setting on shores.

Composer

Nadia Boulanger

Nadia Boulanger and her immensely gifted younger sister Lili came from a family of musicians. Boulanger joined the Paris Conservatoire aged ten, studying harmony and composition, alongside private organ lessons. Gabriel Fauré, who taught her…

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:

Gallery of Memories 27 Oct 2023
Nadia, Henriette & Elsa 26 Oct 2023
26. Ashley Riches, Anna Tilbrook: Vaughan Williams: Perspectives 2 19 Oct 2022
Mary Bevan & Anna Tilbrook: Voyages (dans la lumière) 19 Mar 2022

Songs

by Nadia Boulanger