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Connaissez-vous la blanche tombe, Où flotte avec un son plaintif L'ombre d'un if ? Sur l'if une pâle colombe, Triste et seule au soleil couchant, Chante son chant : Un air maladivement tendre, À la fois charmant et fatal, Qui vous fait mal, Et qu'on voudrait toujours entendre ; Un air, comme en soupire aux cieux L'ange amoureux. On dirait que l'âme éveillée Pleure sous terre à l'unisson De la chanson, Et du malheur d'être oubliée Se plaint dans un roucoulement Bien doucement. Sur les ailes de la musique On sent lentement revenir Un souvenir; Une [ombre de forme]1 angélique, Passe dans un rayon tremblant, En voile blanc. Les belles-de-nuit demi-closes, Jettent leur parfum faible et doux Autour de vous, Et le fantôme aux molles poses Murmure en vous tendant les bras: « Tu reviendras ? » Oh! jamais plus, près de la tombe, Je n'irai, quand descend le soir Au manteau noir, Écouter la pâle colombe Chanter sur la [branche]2 de l'if Son chant plaintif !
H. Duparc sets stanzas 1, 3, 6
P. Hersant sets stanza 4
E. de Polignac sets stanzas 1-5
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Théophile Gauthier, La comédie de la mort, Desessart editeur, Paris, 1838, page 305.
1 Berlioz: "ombre, une forme"2 Duparc, Berlioz: "pointe"
Authorship:
- by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872), "Lamento", appears in La Comédie de la Mort, first published 1838 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Hector Berlioz (1803 - 1869), "Au cimetière", op. 7 no. 5 (1840) [ voice and orchestra ], from Les Nuits d'Été, no. 5, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Allyre Bureau (1810 - 1859), "La blanche tombe", 1837-8, published 1840 [ voice and English horn or cello ], from Deux mélodies pour chant et piano (poésies de Gautier), no. 1, Paris, chez Ad. Catelin & Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henri Duparc (1848 - 1933), "Lamento", 1883, published 1895, stanzas 1,3,6 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Rouart, Lerolle & Cie (Salabert) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Philippe Hersant (b. 1948), "Lamento", 1998, stanza 4 [ duet for mezzo-soprano and baritone with piano ], Paris, Durand [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Émile Paladilhe (1844 - 1926), "La colombe - Lamento", published 1906 [ high voice and piano ], from Feuilles au vent - 1ère série, no. 4, Paris, Heugel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edmond de Polignac, prince (1834 - 1901), "Lamento", stanzas 1-5 [ voice and piano or orchestra ], Édition G. Hartmann [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Peter Cornelius (1824 - 1874) , "Auf dem Friedhofe" ; composed by Hector Berlioz.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Marike Lindhout) , "Lamento", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Lament", copyright ©
- ENG English (Kyle Gee) , "Lament", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Alberto Bonati) , copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2003-10-20
Line count: 36
Word count: 167
¿Conoce usted la blanca tumba, Donde ondea con un son lastimero La sombra de un tejo? Sobre el tejo una pálida paloma, Triste y sola en el sol poniente, Canta su canto. Un aire enfermizo y tierno A la vez encantador y fatal, Que os hace mal, Y que uno quisiera escuchar siempre, Un aire como un suspiro hacia el cielo El ángel amoroso Se diría que el alma despertada Llora bajo tierra al unísono Con la canción, Y por el dolor de ser olvidada Se lamenta con un arrullo Muy suavemente. Sobre las alas de la música Se siente regresar lentamente Un recuerdo Una sombra, una forma angelical, Pasa en un rayo tembloroso, Con blanco velo. Los dondiegos semicerrados Lanzan su perfume débil y suave A vuestro derredor Y el fantasma de muelles poses Murmura y os tiende los brazos ¡Tu volverás! Oh nunca tan cerca de la tumba, Iré, cuando cae la noche Con negro manto, A escuchar a la pálida paloma Cantar en la punta del tejo Su canto lastimero.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to Spanish (Español) copyright © 2007 by Alberto Bonati, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Alberto Bonati. We have no current contact information for the copyright-holder.
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Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872), "Lamento", appears in La Comédie de la Mort, first published 1838
This text was added to the website: 2007-06-13
Line count: 36
Word count: 173