Tous deux
(1870)
French source:
Paul Verlaine
Le grand soleil, complice de ma joie,
Fera, parmi le satin et la soie,
Plus belle encor votre chère beauté;
Le ciel tout bleu, comme une haute tente,
Frissonnera somptueux à longs plis
Sur nos deux fronts heureux qu'auront pâlis
L'émotion du bonheur et l'attente;
Et quand le soir viendra, l'air sera doux
Qui se jouera, caressant, dans vos voiles,
Et les regards paisibles des étoiles
Bienveillamment souriront aux époux.
Both of us
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
The great sun, my partner in joy,
Shall make, amid the satin and the silk,
Your dear beauty lovelier still;
The sky, all blue, like a tall canopy,
Shall quiver sumptuously in the long folds
Above our two happy brows, grown pale
With pleasure and expectancy;
And when evening comes, the breeze shall be soft
And play caressingly about your veils,
And the peaceful stars looking down
Shall smile benevolently on man and wife.
Translation © Richard Stokes, from A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
Tous deux
(1870)
French source:
Paul Verlaine
Both of us
English source:
Richard Stokes
Donc, ce sera par un clair jour d'été
So, on a bright summer day it shall be:
Le grand soleil, complice de ma joie,
The great sun, my partner in joy,
Fera, parmi le satin et la soie,
Shall make, amid the satin and the silk,
Plus belle encor votre chère beauté;
Your dear beauty lovelier still;
Le ciel tout bleu, comme une haute tente,
The sky, all blue, like a tall canopy,
Frissonnera somptueux à longs plis
Shall quiver sumptuously in the long folds
Sur nos deux fronts heureux qu'auront pâlis
Above our two happy brows, grown pale
L'émotion du bonheur et l'attente;
With pleasure and expectancy;
Et quand le soir viendra, l'air sera doux
And when evening comes, the breeze shall be soft
Qui se jouera, caressant, dans vos voiles,
And play caressingly about your veils,
Et les regards paisibles des étoiles
And the peaceful stars looking down
Bienveillamment souriront aux époux.
Shall smile benevolently on man and wife.
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
- 71. Carolyn Sampson, Joseph Middleton: A Verlaine Songbook 28 Oct 2022
- La Bonne Chanson: Mark Padmore & Imogen Cooper 19 Oct 2017