Gounod - Le soir

Le soir

Gounod (1842)

Le soir ramène le silence.
Assis sur ces rochers déserts,
Je suis dans la vague des airs
Le char de la nuit qui s'avance.

Vénus se lève à l'horizon;
A mes pieds l'étoile amoureuse
De sa lueur mystérieuse
Blanchit les tapis de gazon.

Tout à coup détaché des cieux,
Un rayon de l'astre nocturne,
Glissant sur mon front taciturne,
Vient mollement toucher mes yeux.

Doux reflet d'un globe de flamme,
Charmant rayon, que me veux-tu?
Viens-tu dans mon sein abattu
Porter la lumière à mon âme?

Descends-tu pour me révéler
Des mondes le divin mystère?
Ces secrets cachés dans la sphère
Où le jour va te rappeler?

Viens-tu dévoiler l'avenir
Au cœur fatigué qui t'implore?
Rayon divin, es-tu l'aurore
Du jour qui ne doit pas finir?

Alphonse de Lamartine

Evening

Evening brings back silence.
Seated upon these deserted rocks,
I follow, in the wave of the winds,
the chariot of the night advancing.

Venus rises on the horizon;
at my feet the amorous star
whitens the carpet of grass
with its mysterious glow.

Suddenly, freed from the heavens,
a ray from the nocturnal star,
sliding over my quiet brow,
comes and gently touches my eyes.

Sweet reflection of a blazing sphere,
charming ray, what do you want of me?
Do you enter my dejected heart,
to bear light to my soul?

Do you come down to reveal to me
the divine mystery of the worlds;
those secrets hidden in the sphere
to which day will call you back?

Do you come to unveil the future
to the tired heart which implores you,
divine ray, are you the dawn
of the day which is never to end?

© translated by Christopher Goldsack

This song is included in the Singing in French vol2 anthology and a score and accompaniment can be downloaded from the site shop in several keys.

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