Songs

Zéphyr

by Claude Debussy

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Text & Translation

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Zéphyr
French source: Théodore de Banville

Si j’étais le Zéphyr ailé,
J’irais mourir sur votre bouche.
Ces voiles, j’en aurais la clé,
Si j’étais le Zéphyr ailé.
Près des seins, pour qui je brûlais,
Je me glisserais dans la couche.
Si j’étais le Zéphyr ailé,
J’irais mourir sur votre bouche.

Zephyr
English translation © Richard Stokes

Were I the winged Zephyr,
I would fly to your lips and die.
I would possess the key to these veils,
Were I the winged Zephyr.
I would slide into your bed,
Nestling against the breasts that inflame me.
Were I the winged Zephyr,
I would fly to your lips and die.

Translation © Richard Stokes, author of A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)

Zéphyr
French source: Théodore de Banville

Zephyr
English source: Richard Stokes

Si j’étais le Zéphyr ailé,
Were I the winged Zephyr,
J’irais mourir sur votre bouche.
I would fly to your lips and die.
Ces voiles, j’en aurais la clé,
I would possess the key to these veils,
Si j’étais le Zéphyr ailé.
Were I the winged Zephyr.
Près des seins, pour qui je brûlais,
I would slide into your bed,
Je me glisserais dans la couche.
Nestling against the breasts that inflame me.
Si j’étais le Zéphyr ailé,
Were I the winged Zephyr,
J’irais mourir sur votre bouche.
I would fly to your lips and die.

Composer

Claude Debussy

(Achille) Claude Debussy was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Please click…

Poet

Théodore de Banville

Théodore Faullain de Banville was a French poet and writer.

Performances

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