You might need to raise your volume.

I don't know why this wasn't posted already. I sang this at my senior recital in 2005 and it's one of my recital pieces that I like the result of more. Poem translation below. The art is La belle Dame sans Merci by J.W. Waterhouse.

"Le charme", poem by Armand Sylvestre (1837-1901), music by Ernest Chausson (1855-1899), No. 2 from Sept mélodies, Op. 2 (1879-1882).


Le charme

Quand ton sourire me surprit,
Je sentis frémir tout mon être ;
Mais ce qui domptait mon esprit,
Je ne pus d'abord le connaître.

Quand ton regard tomba sur moi,
Je sentis mon âme se fondre ;
Mais ce que serait cet émoi,
Je ne pus d'abord en répondre.

Ce qui me vainquit à jamais,
Ce fut un plus douloureux charme,
Et je n'ai su que je t'aimais,
Qu'en voyant ta première larme.

Translation (by Thomas A. Gregg):

The charm

When your smile surprised me,
I felt a shudder through my entire being,
But what tamed my spirit,
At first I did not recognize.

When your glance fell on me,
I felt my soul melt,
But what that emotion was,
At first I could not answer it.

What conquered me forever,
That was a charm more sad,
And I did not know that I loved you,
Until I saw your first tear. (less info)