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Live in Concert
volume 1

Translations of Song Texts

Gabriel Fauré

En Prière
Poetry by Stéphan Bordèse

If the voice of a child can reach you,
O my Father,
Listen to the prayer of Jesus on His knees
Before You…
If You have chosen me to teach Your laws
On the earth,
I will know how to serve you, holy King of Kings,
O Light!
Place on my lips, a Lord,
The salutary truth,
So that whoever doubts, should with humility
Revere You!
Do not abandon me, give me the gentleness
So necessary,
To relieve the suffering, to alleviate pains;
The misery!
Reveal Yourself to me, Lord, in whom I have faith
And hope,
I want to suffer for You and to die on the Cross,
At Calvary!

Notre Amour
Poetry by Armand Silvestre

Our love is a light thing
Like the perfumes which the wind
Lifts from the top of the fern
To be inhaled in dreaming.
Our love is a light thing,
Our love is a thing with charm,
Like the songs of the morn,
With no expression of regret.
In which vibrates an uncertain hope…
Our love is a charming thing!
Our love is a sacred thing
Like the mysteries of a forest,
Where a strange soul is trembling,
Where stillness has a voice;
Our love is a sacred thing!
Our love is an infinite thing,
Like the paths of sunsets,
Where the sea united with the skies,
Slumbers under declining suns;
Our love is an eternal thing.
Like all things that Almighty God
Has touched with the fire of his wings,
Like all that comes from the heart;
Our love is an eternal thing!

Reynaldo Hahn

Si mes vers avaient des ailes
Poetry by Victor Hugo

My verses would flee, sweet and frail,
To your garden so beautiful,
If my verses had wings
Like the bird!
They would fly, glittering,
To your cheerful fireside,
If my verses had wings
Like the mind!
To you, pure and faithful
They would hasten, night and day,
If my verses had wings
Like love!

L’Heure exquise
Poetry by Paul Verlaine

The white moon shines in the forest,
From every branch comes forth a voice,
Under the foliage,
Oh beloved!
The pond reflects, a deep mirror,
The silhouette of the dark willow,
Where the wind is weeping.
Let us dream, this is the hour!
A vast and tender calm
Seems to descend from the firmament,
Which the orb clads in rainbow colors;
This is the exquisite hour.

Huang Zi

Spring song of remembrance
Poetry traditional

Whistling of the night and the pattering of the rain drops by the stairs.
During the cold night I am alone with a pillow and I can not sleep.
The day arises, the mirror shows everything is mixed up,
There should be a pear by a shallow eddy of water.
Languid green clouds sweep past,
Too lazy to paste the flower on.
A lone little house leaned,
Afraid to see the roadside willows,
With separate colors on the window curtains.
Jealous swallows chirp and talk
As they pass by the patio through the picturesque view.
Remember a lover, who left years ago.
Regret I cannot become a cuckoo
To wake him up and prepare to return quickly on horseback.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Recitative, Aria and Cavatina: Ah, lo previdi, K. 272
Poetry by V. A. Cigna-Santi

Recitative

Ah, I foresaw it! Poor prince, with the same sword that saved me you pierced your breast.
But why did you not prevent such savage slaughter?
How, cruel one, were you not moved to pity an unfortunate man?
What tiger nurtured you? Where were you born?

Aria

Ah, fly from my sight, vile being, ungrateful heart!
You are the cause, O God, of my bitter sorrow.
Go, cruel one! Go, pitiless one! Go and dwell among the wild beasts.

Recitative

Woe is me! In vain I rage, and meanwhile my beloved welters in his own blood…
With the sward, Perseus, what have you done?
You saved me a while ago, now you kill me.
Alas, see how his dear spirit has gushed forth with the blood from his wounded breast!
Unhappy that I am! The day darkens to my eyes, and in bitter torment my heart falters.
Ah, do not go, beloved shade! I wish to be united with you.
Until grief kills me, tarry awhile at the final step!

Cavatina

Ah, do not cross those waters, soul of my soul!
To the further shore of Lethe, O shade,
I too wish to come with you as your companion.

Sources of translations include:

The Lied and Art Song Texts Page.
Translations in musical scores we used to prepare for our performances.
Translations that we made ourselves.