Songs
S'il arrive jamais
(1909)
S'il arrive jamais
S'il arrive jamaisQue nous soyons, sans le savoir,Souffrance ou peine ou désespoir,L'un pour l'autre ; s'il se faisaitQue la fatigue ou le banal plaisirDétendissent en nous l'arc d'or du haut désir ;Si le cristal de la pure penséeDoit en nos cœurs tomber et se briser,Si malgré tout, je me sentaisVaincu pour n'avoir pas étéAssez en proie à la divine immensitéDe la bonté ;Alors, oh ! serrons-nous comme deux fous sublimesQui sous les cieux cassés, se cramponnent aux cimesQuand même -- et d'un unique essor,L'âme en soleil, s'exaltent dans la mort.
Should it ever occur
Should it ever occurThat we unwittingly becomePain, sorrow or despairFor one another; if it ever wereThat fatigue or banal pleasureLoosened up the golden bow of high desire;If the crystal of pure thoughtIn our hearts should ever fall and break,If, in spite of it all, I feltDefeated for not having beenSufficiently touched by the divine immensityOf kindness;Then, oh, let us embrace like two sublime madmenWho under broken skies still hang on to the summit –And in one soaring path,Our souls bathed in sunlight, exaltedly go to our death.
If you would like to use our texts and translations, please click here for more information.
Composer
Juliette Nadia Boulanger was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. Her students included Aaron Copland, Dinu Lipatti, Philip Glass and Quincy Jones.
Read more here.
See Full Entry
Sorry, no further description available.
Previously performed at:
S'il arrive jamais
S'il arrive jamais
Que nous soyons, sans le savoir,
Souffrance ou peine ou désespoir,
L'un pour l'autre ; s'il se faisait
Que la fatigue ou le banal plaisir
Détendissent en nous l'arc d'or du haut désir ;
Si le cristal de la pure pensée
Doit en nos cœurs tomber et se briser,
Si malgré tout, je me sentais
Vaincu pour n'avoir pas été
Assez en proie à la divine immensité
De la bonté ;
Alors, oh ! serrons-nous comme deux fous sublimes
Qui sous les cieux cassés, se cramponnent aux cimes
Quand même -- et d'un unique essor,
L'âme en soleil, s'exaltent dans la mort.
Should it ever occur
Should it ever occur
That we unwittingly become
Pain, sorrow or despair
For one another; if it ever were
That fatigue or banal pleasure
Loosened up the golden bow of high desire;
If the crystal of pure thought
In our hearts should ever fall and break,
If, in spite of it all, I felt
Defeated for not having been
Sufficiently touched by the divine immensity
Of kindness;
Then, oh, let us embrace like two sublime madmen
Who under broken skies still hang on to the summit –
And in one soaring path,
Our souls bathed in sunlight, exaltedly go to our death.
If you would like to use our texts and translations, please click here for more information.
Composer
Juliette Nadia Boulanger was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. Her students included Aaron Copland, Dinu Lipatti, Philip Glass and Quincy Jones.
Read more here.
See Full Entry
Sorry, no further description available.
Previously performed at:
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