Texts and Translations

April 11, 2023

Nightsongs
I. Evening

Evening, you gather back
all that dazzling dawn has put asunder.
You gather a lamb, gather a kid,
you gather a child to its mother.
For all stars, the most beautiful: evening.

II. Stars

Stars around the beautiful moon
give back their luminous form
whenever all full she shines on the earth.
Silvery stars.

III. Moon

Moon has set, and Pleiades.
Middle night, the hours go by.
Alone, I lie, alone.
I…

IV. Dream of Black

Dream of black, you come roaming,
and when sleep,
Sweet God, terribly from pain
to hold the strength separate.
But I expect not to share
Nothing of the blessed ones.
For I would not be like this, toys.
But may it happen to me, all to me.

Soleils couchants

Une aube affaiblie
verse par les champs
la mélancolie
des soleils couchants.

La mélancolie
berce de doux chants
mon coeur qui s'oublie
aux soleils couchants.

Et d'étranges rêves,
comme des soleils
couchants, sur les grèves,
fantômes vermeils,

Défilent sans trêves,
défilent, pareils
à de grands soleils
couchants sur les grèves.

Setting Suns

A weakened dawn
pours through the fields
the melancholy
of setting suns.

The melancholy
cradles with its sweet songs
my heart, forgetful
of setting suns.

And in strange dreams,
like suns
setting on the strand,
crimson phantoms

File by without pause,
file by, equalling
great suns
setting on the strand.

Nebel

Du, trüber Nebel, hüllest mir
das Tal mit seinem Fluß,
den Berg mit seinem Waldrevier
und jeden Sonnengruß.

Nimm fort in deine graue Nacht
die Erde weit und breit!
Nimm fort, was mich so traurig macht,
Auch die Vergangenheit!

Fog

You, cloudy fog, envelop me
the valley with its river,
The mountain with its forest area
and every sun salutation.

Take away into your gray night
the earth far and wide!
Take away what makes me so sad,
take the past too!

Die stille Stadt

Liegt eine Stadt im Tale,
ein blasser Tag vergeht.
es wird nicht lange dauern mehr,
bis weder Mond noch Sterne
nur Nacht am Himmel steht.

Von allen Bergen drücken
nebel auf die Stadt,
es dringt kein Dach, nicht Hof noch Haus,
kein Laut aus ihrem Rauch heraus,
kaum Türme noch und Brücken.

Doch als dem Wandrer graute,
da ging ein Lichtlein auf im Grund
und durch den Rauch und Nebel
begann ein leiser Lobgesang
aus Kindermund.

The Silent Town

A town lies in the valley,
a pale day is fading;
it will not be long
before neither moon nor stars
but night alone will deck the skies.

From every mountain
mists weigh on the town;
no roof, no courtyard, no house
no sound can penetrate the smoke,
scarcely towers and bridges even.

But as fear seized the traveller,
a gleam appeared in the valley;
and through the smoke and mist
came a faint song of praise
from a child's lips.

Addio a Nice

Ecco quel fiero istante:
Nice, mia Nice, addio.
Come vivrò ben mio,
così lontan da te?

Io vivrò sempre in pene,
Io non avrò più bene:
E tu, chi sa se mai
ti sovverrai di me!

Goodbye to Nice

Now comes the painful instant
Nice, my Nice, goodbye.
How can I live, my love
so far away from you!

My life will be a burden
without any happiness
and you, who knows if ever
you will remember me.

Penelope

What is it to be waiting?
What is it to be waiting for you?
Is it wanting? Is it loving?
Is it moving through me like a fire, desire?
Is it loneliness in empty rooms? Stillness...

Old fashioned lovers kiss,
did they ever miss each other?
When will you come home to me?
When will I bloom again?

Darling boy,
I breathe the same salt air,
the same sun on my hair.
When they see the boats from the headland
they’ll strike up the band!

Darling boy will you ever again
hold my hand while we’re sleeping?

What is it to be waiting?
What is it to be waiting for you?
Is it loving?
Is it loneliness in empty rooms?

Viens, mon bien-aimé!

Les beaux jours vont enfin renaître,
le voici, l'avril embaumé!
Un frisson d'amour me pénètre,
viens! mon bien-aimé!

Ils ont fui, les longs soirs moroses,
déjà le jardin parfumé
se remplit d'oiseaux et de roses:
Viens! mon bien-aimé!

Soleil, de ta brûlante ivresse,
j'ai senti mon coeur enflammé,
plus enivrante est ta caresse,
viens! mon bien-aimé!

Tout se tait, de millions d'étoiles
le ciel profond est parsemé,
quand sur nous la nuit met ses voiles:
Viens! mon bien-aimé!

Come, my beloved!

Fair days will at last soon be with us again,
now that scented April is here!
An amorous frisson pierces my frame,
come, my beloved!

The long, gloomy evening now has fled,
the fragrant garden already teems
with birds and roses:
Come, my beloved!

Sun, I feel your intoxicating glow
ignite my heart;
your caress is more passionate still,
come, my beloved!

All falls silent, the deep sky
is scattered with millions of stars,
when night folds us in her veils:
Come, my beloved!

Les cavaliers

Ma soeur -
as-tu vu, ma soeur, ces deux cavaliers?
Qui passaient sur leurs noirs coursiers?
Jamais prince, ni fils de reine
N'eut cette grâce souveraine;

Au feu qui brillait dans leurs yeux
On eut cru voir des demidieux
Ah! les belles que leur coeur aime,
possèdent le bien suprême!

Mais las! où donc sont elles,
ces trop heurueses belles?
Quelle palais enchanté
abrite leur félicité?

Vois, ma soeur, encor ces deux cavaliers,
qui repassent sur leurs coursiers;
Jamais prince, ni fils de reine
N'eut cette grâce souveraine.

Mais, o bonheur! regarde donc, ma soeur!
N'est-ce pas une folle erreur?
Tous les deux sous notre fenêtre,
ne les vois-je pas reparaître?

O bonheur, je les vois reparaître,
Qu'ils sont beaux, avec quelle adresse
Ils font danser leurs noirs coursiers!

Ma soeur, c'est à nous que s'adresse
Le salut des fiers cavaliers
C'est à nous, ma souer, c'est à nous!

The Knights

Sister -
have you seen, sister, those two knights?
The ones that passed on their black horses?
Never princes, nor sons of queens
They don't have that sovereign grace;

From the fire burning in their eyes,
One would have thought they were demigods
Ah! the beauties that their hearts love,
possess the best!

But wait! where are they then,
these happy beauties?
What enchanted palace
shelters their bliss?

See, sister, again the two knights,
who pass again on their horses;
Never princes, nor sons of queens
They don't have that sovereign grace.

But, o happiness! Look at them, sister!
Isn't that a crazy mistake?
Both under our window,
Don't I see them reappearing?

O happiness, I see them reappearing,
They're so cute, how skillfully
they make their horses dance!

Sister, it's to us that addresses
The salute of the proud knights
It's to us, sister, it's to us!

Le fil des coeurs

Quand tu pars, désertant ces bras
je sens comme un fil qui me tire l'âme
un fil si ténu qu'on ne le sent pas
tant que l'on se grise au philtre de flamme;

Mais sitôt que l'on s'est quitté
le fil s'étire, s'étire, s'étire
jusqu'à la torture et jusqu'au martyre
Et pourtant ce martyre est une volupté!

Car si l'Amour tendre et barbare
qui nous lia pour la terre et les cieux
fait saigner nos cœurs qu'il sépare
en tirant le fil radieux

Lorsqu'il daigne, brisant ses armes
Unir enfin nos cœurs brisés
Nos baisers ont le goût des larmes
Et ce sont les meilleurs baisers!

The Thread of Hearts

When you leave, deserting these arms
I feel like a thread pulls my soul
a thread so thin that we don't feel it
as long as we're intoxicated by our flame;

But as soon as we are parted
the thread stretches, stretches, stretches
until torture and until martyrdom
and yet this martyrdom is a pleasure!

Because if the tender and barbaric Cupid
that binds us on earth and in the heavens
makes our separated hearts bleed
while pulling the radiant thread

When he deigns, breaking his weapons
to finally unite our broken hearts
our kisses taste like tears
and these are the best kisses!

C’era una volta

C'era una volta che con voi parlava,
ora non son più degna di vedervi;
Allor se per la via, v'incontrava,
bassava gl'occhi, e il cor si rallegrava.

Adesso che son priva dell' amore,
abbasso gl'occhi, e convien ch'io mora,
adesso che son priva dal mio bene,
abbasso gl'occhi, e morir mi conviene!

Prendi colle tue mani un coltel d'oro,
ferisci l'alma mia con tuo diletto!
Così vedrai se t'amo e se t'adoro,
così vedrai s'è ver quel che ti ho detto,

S'egli è la verità, caro amor mio,
per un' che s'apre il petto e dice addio,
s'egli è la verità, mio dolce amore,
per lei che spira e che ti dona il core.

Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time I spoke to you,
now I am no longer worthy;
Then if along the way, I met you,
I lowered my eyes, and my heart rejoiced.

Now that I'm deprived of love,
I lower my eyes, and I must die,
now that I'm deprived of my good,
I lower my eyes, and it's better for me to die!

Take a golden knife in your hands,
wound my soul with your delight!
So you will see if I love you and if I adore you,
so you will see if what I told you is true,

If it is the truth, my dear love,
for one who opens her chest and says goodbye,
if it is the truth, my dear love,
for she who breathes and gives you her heart.

Requiem for Allison

You out there, you patriots of silence,
what do you know of me?
I who lie in this lonely place beneath the soil,
cold as the death I died for no reason
nor cause except your hatred.

If I could come to you whole
and let you see me, touch me. Know me.
Would you not weep for me
you silent patriots?

Do you hear the mournful song of a distant bird,
the gentle flutter of her broken wing?
Or are you so made of stone and steel
no dart of love can pierce the armour
of your frozen heart?

Then go, wave your pretty flags
to marching muscles, and leave me
to those who love me.

Go, preach your hate,
but mark me well:
The day will surely come
When I in others will arise

And bring to all of you
love and peace.