Songs

Soupir

by Henri Duparc

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From Trois Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé

Text & Translation

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Soupir
French source: René-François-Armand Prudhomme

Ne jamais la voir ni l’entendre,
Ne jamais tout haut la nommer,
Mais, fidèle, toujours l’attendre,
Toujours l’aimer.

Ouvrir les bras et, las d’attendre,
Sur le néant les refermer,
Mais encor, toujours les lui tendre,
Toujours l’aimer.

Ah! Ne pouvoir que les lui tendre,
Et dans les pleurs se consumer,
Mais ces pleurs toujours les répandre
Toujours l’aimer.

Ne jamais la voir ni l’entendre,
Ne jamais tout haut la nommer,
Mais d’un amour toujours plus tendre,
Toujours l’aimer !

Sigh
English translation © Richard Stokes

Never to see or hear her,
Never to utter her name aloud,
But faithful, always to wait for her,
Always to love her.

To open my arms and, weary of waiting,
To close them again on a void,
Yet always to hold them out again,
Always to love her.

Ah, able only to hold them out
And to waste away in tears,
Yet always to shed those tears,
Always to love her.

Never to see or hear her,
Never to utter her name aloud,
But with a love always more tender,
Always to love her.

Soupir
French source: René-François-Armand Prudhomme

Sigh
English source: Richard Stokes

Ne jamais la voir ni l’entendre,
Never to see or hear her,
Ne jamais tout haut la nommer,
Never to utter her name aloud,
Mais, fidèle, toujours l’attendre,
But faithful, always to wait for her,
Toujours l’aimer.
Always to love her.

Ouvrir les bras et, las d’attendre,
To open my arms and, weary of waiting,
Sur le néant les refermer,
To close them again on a void,
Mais encor, toujours les lui tendre,
Yet always to hold them out again,
Toujours l’aimer.
Always to love her.

Ah! Ne pouvoir que les lui tendre,
Ah, able only to hold them out
Et dans les pleurs se consumer,
And to waste away in tears,
Mais ces pleurs toujours les répandre
Yet always to shed those tears,
Toujours l’aimer.
Always to love her.

Ne jamais la voir ni l’entendre,
Never to see or hear her,
Ne jamais tout haut la nommer,
Never to utter her name aloud,
Mais d’un amour toujours plus tendre,
But with a love always more tender,
Toujours l’aimer !
Always to love her.

Composer

Henri Duparc

Eugène Marie Henri Fouques Duparc (21 January 1848 – 12 February 1933) was a French composer of the late Romantic period. Read more here.

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