by
Roger Frène (1878 - 1939)
Lunaire
Language: French (Français)
Available translation(s): ENG
Aux sources traversant
Les grands draps des prairies
Les cressons frais
Et bleus abritent les crapauds
Qui lancent d'une voix douce,
Jamais tarie dans la lune,
Leur musical et même mot.
Des linges sont restés aux buissons
Des lessives...
Les arbres des jardins de mai
Sentent leurs fleurs invisibles
Tomber à la note plaintive
Qui vient des prés d'argent
Comme d'amoureux pleurs.
Le cerisier léger,
Le bouleau pâle et tendre,
Évaporent un clair feuillage adolescent
Et s'illuminent jusqu'à ne devenir que cendre
Sous le vague baiser de l'azur caressant.
Les flûtes des cressons
Chantent leur pur nocturne ...
La lunaire clarté glisse dans les ruisseaux,
Inonde la vallée ainsi qu'une grande urne
Et remplit l'âme des hommes
Et des troupeaux.
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Moonlight", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2014-11-01
Line count: 25
Word count: 120
Moonlight
Language: English  after the French (Français)
Near the springs that traverse
The great sheets of the prairies,
The damp rock cress flowers,
Blooming in purple, shelter the toads
Who send up their call in one sweet voice,
Never drying out under the moonlight,
Singing the same tune and lyrics.
Something looking like cloth hangs on the bushes
smelling of sweet detergent…
The trees of the gardens of May
Feel their invisible flowers
Falling upon hearing the plaintive tone
That comes from the silver meadows,
Like tears of love.
The graceful cherry tree,
The pale, tender birch,
Vaporize bright green budding foliage
And light up, until they burn out
Under the distracted kiss of the affectionate blue sky.
The flutes of purple rock cress
Sing their pure nocturne …
The lunar light slips into the brooks,
Inundates the valley as if pouring out a tall urn
And fills the soul of man
And of all nature’s creatures.
Translator's note for line 18 ("until they burn out") - "ne devenir que cendre" means literally, "become only ashes"
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2016 by Laura Prichard, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Roger Frène (1878 - 1939)
This text was added to the website: 2016-10-06
Line count: 25
Word count: 150