Sur les lagunes
French source:
Théophile Gautier
Je pleurerai toujours;
Sous la tombe elle emporte
Mon âme et mes amours.
Dans le ciel, sans m’attendre,
Elle s’en retourna;
L’ange qui l’emmena
Ne voulut pas me prendre.
Que mon sort est amer!
Ah! sans amour, s’en aller sur la mer!
Le blanche créature
Est couchée au cercueil.
Comme dans la nature
Tout me paraît en deuil!
La colombe oubliée
Pleure et songe à l’absent;
Mon âme pleure et sent
Qu’elle est dépareillée.
Que mon sort est amer!
Ah! sans amour, s’en aller sur la mer!
Sur moi la nuit immense
S’étend comme un linceul;
Je chante ma romance
Que le ciel entend seul.
Ah! comme elle était belle,
Et comme je l’amais!
Je n’aimerai jamais
Une femme autant qu’elle.
Que mon sort est amer!
Ah! sans amour, s’en aller sur la mer!
On the lagoons
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
I shall weep for evermore;
To the tomb she takes with her
My soul and all my love.
Without waiting for me
She has returned to Heaven;
The angel who took her away
Did not wish to take me.
How bitter is my fate!
Alas! to set sail loveless across the sea!
The pure white being
Lies in her coffin.
How everything in nature
Seems to mourn!
The forsaken dove
Weeps, dreaming of its absent mate;
My soul weeps and feels
Itself adrift.
How bitter is my fate!
Alas! to set sail loveless across the sea!
The immense night above me
Is spread like a shroud;
I sing my song
Which heaven alone can hear.
Ah! how beautiful she was,
And how I loved her!
I shall never love a woman
As I loved her.
How bitter is my fate!
Alas! to set sail loveless across the sea!
Translations by Richard Stokes, from A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
Sur les lagunes
French source:
Théophile Gautier
On the lagoons
English source:
Richard Stokes
Ma belle amie est morte:
My dearest love is dead:
Je pleurerai toujours;
I shall weep for evermore;
Sous la tombe elle emporte
To the tomb she takes with her
Mon âme et mes amours.
My soul and all my love.
Dans le ciel, sans m’attendre,
Without waiting for me
Elle s’en retourna;
She has returned to Heaven;
L’ange qui l’emmena
The angel who took her away
Ne voulut pas me prendre.
Did not wish to take me.
Que mon sort est amer!
How bitter is my fate!
Ah! sans amour, s’en aller sur la mer!
Alas! to set sail loveless across the sea!
Le blanche créature
The pure white being
Est couchée au cercueil.
Lies in her coffin.
Comme dans la nature
How everything in nature
Tout me paraît en deuil!
Seems to mourn!
La colombe oubliée
The forsaken dove
Pleure et songe à l’absent;
Weeps, dreaming of its absent mate;
Mon âme pleure et sent
My soul weeps and feels
Qu’elle est dépareillée.
Itself adrift.
Que mon sort est amer!
How bitter is my fate!
Ah! sans amour, s’en aller sur la mer!
Alas! to set sail loveless across the sea!
Sur moi la nuit immense
The immense night above me
S’étend comme un linceul;
Is spread like a shroud;
Je chante ma romance
I sing my song
Que le ciel entend seul.
Which heaven alone can hear.
Ah! comme elle était belle,
Ah! how beautiful she was,
Et comme je l’amais!
And how I loved her!
Je n’aimerai jamais
I shall never love a woman
Une femme autant qu’elle.
As I loved her.
Que mon sort est amer!
How bitter is my fate!
Ah! sans amour, s’en aller sur la mer!
Alas! to set sail loveless across the sea!
Composer
Hector Berlioz
Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic composer. His output includes orchestral works such as the Symphonie fantastique and Harold in Italy, choral pieces including the Requiem and L'Enfance du Christ, his three…
Poet
Théophile Gautier
Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic. While Gautier was an ardent defender of Romanticism, his work is difficult to classify and remains a point of reference for many…