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Les papillons The Butteries

Text by Thophile Gautier Translation by Winifred Radford

Les papillons couleur de neige The snow-coloured butteries


Volent par essaim sur la mer; y in swarms over the sea;
Beaux papillons blancs, quand pourrai-je Beautiful white butteries, when can I
Prendre le bleu chemin de lair? take the blue path of the air?

Savez-vous o belle des belles, Do you know, O fairest of the fair,


Ma bayadre aux yeux de jais, my dancing girl with the jet black eyes,
Sils me voulaient prter leurs ailes, if they would lend me their wings,
Dites, savez-vous, o jirais? tell me, do you know where I would go?

Sans prendre un seul baiser aux roses, Without taking a single kiss from the roses,
A travers vallons et forts, across valleys and forests,
Jirais vos lvres mi-closes, I would go to your half-closed lips,
Fleur de mon me, et jy mourrais. ower of my soul, and there I would die.

Le colibri The Hummingbird


Text by Leconte de Lisle Translation by Winifred Radford

Le vert colibri, le roi des collines, The green hummingbird, the king of the hills,
Voyant la rose et le solei clair seeing the dew and the bright sun
Luire dans so nid tiss dherbes nes, shining into his nest, woven of ne grasses,
Comme un frais rayon schappe dans lair. darts into the air like a ray of light.

Il se hte et vole aux sources voisines, He hurries and ies to the nearby springs,
O les bambous font le bruit de la mer, where bamboos make a sound like the sea,
O laoka rouge aux odeurs divines where the red hibiscus with its divine fragrance
Souvre et porte au cur un humide clair. unfolds the dewy brilliance at its heart.

Vers la eur dore il descend se pose, He descends to the golden ower, alights,
Et boit tant damour dans la coupe rose, and drinks so much love from the rosy cup,
Quil meurt ne sachant sil la pu tarir! that he dies, not knowing if he had exhausted its nectar!

Sur ta lvre pure, ma bien-aime, On your pure lips, O my beloved,


Telle aussi mon me eut voulu mourir, likewise my soul wished to die,
Du premier baiser qui la parfume. of the rst kiss which perfumed it.

Lachen und Weinen Laughing and Crying


Text by Friedrich Rckert Translation by Richard Stokes

Lachen und Weinen zu jeglicher Stunde Laughing and tears at any hour
Ruht bei der Lieb auf so mancherlei Grunde. Arise in love from so many dierent causes.
Morgens lacht ich vor Lust, In the morning I laugh with joy,
Und warum ich nun weine And why I now weep
Bei des Abends Scheine, In the evening light
Ist mir selb nicht bewut. Is unknown even to me.

Weinen und Lachen zu jeglicher Stunde Tears and laughter at any hour
Ruht bei der Lieb auf so mancherlei Grunde. Arise in love from so many dierent causes.
Abends weint ich vor Schmerz; In the evening I wept with grief;
Und warum du erwachen And why you can wake
Kannst am Morgen mit Lachen, In the morning with laughter
Mu ich dich fragen, o Herz. This I must ask you, my heart.

Nacht und Trume Night and Dreams


Text by Matthus von Collin Translation by Richard Stokes

Heilge Nacht, du sinkest nieder; Holy night , you oat down;


Nieder wallen auch die Trume Dreams too drift down
Wie dein Mondlicht durch die Rume Like you moonlight through space
Durch der Menschen stille Brust. Through the silent hearts of men.

Die belauschen sie mit Lust They listen to them with delight
Rufen, wenn der Tag erwacht: Cry out when day awakes
Kehre wieder, heilge Nacht! Come back, holy night!
Holde Trume, kehret wieder! Sweet dreams, come back again!

Liebe schwrmt auf allen Wegen D. 239 Love doth swarm on every byway D. 239
Text by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Translation by Elizabeth Parcells

Liebe schwrmt auf allen Wegen, Love doth swarm on every byway,
Treue wohnt fr sich allein; Faith abides unto itself;
Liebe kommt euch rasch entgegen, Love approaches us so swiftly,
aufgesucht will Treue sein. Faith must needs be truly sought.


Quando men vo soletta per la via When I walk all alone in the street
Text by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacoso Translation by Martha Gerhart

Quando men vo soletta per la via, When I go out alone in the street
La gente sosta e mira... People stop and stare...
E la bellezza mia tutta ricerca in me And they all study in me my beauty
Da capo a pie'. From head to foot.

Ed assaporo allor la bramosia And then I savor the subtle longing


Sottil, che da gli occhi traspira which comes from their eyes
E dai palesi vezzi intender sa they know how to appreciate, beneath
Alle occulte belt. Obvious chams, all the hidden beauty.

Cos l'eluvio del deso Thus the ow of desire


tutta m'aggira, Completely surrounds me
Felice mi fa! It makes me happy!

E tu che sai, che memori And you who know, who remember
e ti struggi and are melting with passion-
Da me tanto rifuggi? You avoid me so?

So ben: le angoscie tue I know well: your suerings-


non le vuoi dir, you don't want to tell them,
Ma ti senti morir! but you feel like you're dying!

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