Francis Poulenc Tu vois le feu do soir

Tu vois le feu du soir, a surreal depiction of a landscape, makes the singer and indeed the listener see the world and nature as a mighty force where we have no real consequence. Contrary to how many interpret this song, I do not see it relating to death as the last line may suggest, but about the world continuing to exist regardless of whether we are there or not.

Tu voix le feu du soir -
You see the fire of night

You see the fire of evening emerging from its shell,
and you see the forest buried in its coolness.

You see the bare plain beside the straggling sky,
the snow as high as the sea,
and the sea high in the blue heaven.

Perfect stones, gentle woods - veiled assistance.
You see cities tinged with golden melancholy,
sidewalks full of apologies,
and a square where loneliness has a smiling statue,
and love has only one house.

You see the animals, identical and shrewd, sacrificed one to another.
Immaculate brothers whose shadows are mingled in a wilderness of blood.

You see a beautiful child, as he plays and laughs;
he is smaller by far than the little bird on the tips of the twigs.

You see a landscape tasting of olive oil and water where rock is excluded, and where the earth yields up her greenery to summer which covers her with fruit.

There are women descending from their ancient mirrors,
who bring you their youth and their faith in yours;
and one of them (her clear face is the sail that draws you on)
makes you secretly see the world without your presence.

Translation: Penelope White das Graças
(Feel free to use this translation and programme note if you are performing the song somewhere, all I ask is that you 'credit it' - thanks :-) )

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Francis
• Poulenc
• Tu
• vois
• le
• feu
• do
• soir
• Penelope
• White
• das
• Graças
• Luiz
• Neri
• Pfützenreuter
• french
• melodie
• lied

[penelopeinbrazil]

mascagny: Indeed...thank you... it was a typo...

[penelopeinbrazil]

Obrigada querida! :-)

[mascagny]

it's "le feu DU soir"

[sopranobrasileira]

Muito bem Penelope!!! beijo