Villanelle [vi.la.

nl] (Villanelle)
Text by Thophile Gautier (1811-1872)
Set by Hector Berlioz (1803-1869), from Les nuits d't, op. 7, #1; Ernest Lavigne (1851-1909); Henri
Reber (1807-1880)

Quand viendra la saison nouvelle,

[k vj.da la s.zo nu.v.l]
When comes the season new,

Quand auront disparu les froids,

[k. to.o dis.pa.y l fwa]
when has vanished the cold,

Tous les deux nous irons, ma belle,

[tu le d nu. zi.o ma b.l]
both the two of-us will-go, my beauty,

Pour cueillir le muguet |aux bois;

[pu k.ji l my. o bwa]
to gather the lilies-of-the-valley in-the woods;

Sous nos pieds |grenant les perles

[su no pje e..n l p.l]
beneath our feet scattering the pearls-(of-dew)

Que l'on voit |au matin trembler,

[k lo vwa o ma.t t.ble]
that we see in-the morning trembling,

Nous irons couter les merles

[nu. zi.o. ze.ku.te l m.l]
we will-go to-hear the blackbirds

Siffler.
[sif.le]
singing.

Le printemps |est venu, ma belle;

[l p.t v.ny ma bl.l]
The spring has come, my beauty;

C'est le mois des amants bni,

[s l mwa d. za.m be.ni]
it-is the month by-the lovers blessed,

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Et l'oiseau, satinant son aile,
[e lwa.zo sa.ti.n so. n.l]
and the-bird, preening its wing

Dit ses vers au rebord du nid.

[di s v. o .b dy ni]
sings his verses on-the edge of-the nest.

Oh! Viens donc sur ce banc de mousse,

[o vj do sy s b d mu.s]
Oh! Come then to this bank of moss,
(Oh! Come to this mossy bank,)

Pour parler de nos beaux amours,

[pu pa.le d no bo. za.mu]
to speak of our beautiful love,

Et dis-moi de ta voix si douce:

[e di.mwa d ta vwa si du.s]
and tell-me with your voice so sweet:

Toujours!
[tu.u]
forever!

Loin, bien loin, |garant nos courses,

[lw bj lw e.a. no ku.s]
Far, very far, straying from-our course

Faisons fuir le lapin cach,

[f.zo fi l la.p ka.e]
we-make flee the rabbit hidden,

Et le daim |au miroir des sources

[e l d o mi.wa de su.s]
and the deer in-the mirror of-the spring
(and the deer, mirrored in the spring,)

Admirant son grand bois pench;

[ad.mi. so bwa p.e]
admires his great (antlers) lowered;

Puis, chez nous, tout heureux, tout aises,

[pi e nu tu. t. tu. t.z]
then, to-home ours, all happy, all content,
(then to our home we will return, all happy and content,)

Villanelle (Gautier) Page 3 of 3

En paniers |enlaant nos doigts,
[ pa.nje .la.s no dwa]
(like) baskets interwoven are-our fingers,

Revenons, rapportant des fraises

[.v.no a.p.t d f.s]
let-us-return, bringing some strawberries

Des bois.
[d bwa]
of-the woods.

(Literal translation and IPA transcription 2007 by Bard SuverkropIPA Source, LLC)

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