Song Text

[erselking]

Does anyone have the English to "Plaisir d'aimer, WoO128"?

[Megan]

Does anyone have the English to "Plaisir d'aimer, WoO128"?

Jean de Florian (1755–1794),


PLAISIR D’AMOUR (English translation)

The joys of love last but a moment.
The grief of love lasts a lifetime.

I’ve given up everything for the ungrateful Sylvia.
She is leaving me and taking another lover.

The joys of love last but a moment.
The grief of love lasts a lifetime.

“As long as that water flows gently
Towards that brook at the edge of the meadow,
I’ll love you,” Sylvia repeated to me.
The water still flows. She has changed though.

The joys of love last but a moment.
The grief of love lasts a lifetime.





In the original French
Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment.
chagrin d'amour dure toute la vie.

J'ai tout quitté pour l'ingrate Sylvie.
Elle me quitte et prend un autre amant.

Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment.
chagrin d'amour dure toute la vie.

Tant que cette eau coulera doucement
vers ce ruisseau qui borde la prairie,


Je t'aimerai me répétait Sylvie.
L'eau coule encore. Elle a changé pourtant.


Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment.
chagrin d'amour dure toute la vie.

[Michael]

The actual 1799 setting by Beethoven seems to be a different text. It is attributed to "Anon":

"Plaisir d'aimer, besoine d'une ame tendre
Que vous avez de pouvoir sur mon coeur.
De vous, helas, en voulant me defendre
Je perds la paix sans trouver le bonheur."

"The pleasure of loving, the need of a tender soul,
What power over my heart you have!
Wanting to protect myself from you, alas,
I lose my peace of mind without finding happiness."

(I prefer Megan's version, the tune of which has been used by Joan Baez and stolen by Elvis!)

[erselking]

Thank you Megan and Michael. The song given by Michael is the one I was looking for. Michael, what was your source? I have six others songs I can't find translations for.

[Michael]

Thank you Megan and Michael. The song given by Michael is the one I was looking for. Michael, what was your source? I have six others songs I can't find translations for.

It's Vol 16 of the DGG Complete Beethoven Edition which came out in 1997. The volumes were also available seperately and may still be around. This 3 CD set comes in a box with a hefty booklet giving French, German and English translations for the songs - and these are the only sources I have.
Many years before the complete edition came out, I had a complete set sung by Hermann Prey. It was very good but I hadn't a clue as to what he was singing about!

[erselking]

Thanks again, Michael, for your help. I have the 3-CD set with Peter Schreier/Walter Olbertz on Brilliant Classics, but the texts are in the original languages only, no English. As before, I have found translations to all but a half dozen works w/o opus, so I'll keep looking.

[Michael]

Thanks again, Michael, for your help. I have the 3-CD set with Peter Schreier/Walter Olbertz on Brilliant Classics, but the texts are in the original languages only, no English. As before, I have found translations to all but a half dozen works w/o opus, so I'll keep looking.

If you message me the Opus numbers of the songs, I'll be glad to send you the translations - a few at a time.

(I hope one of them isn't "Urian's Voyage Round the World" which has about 25 verses. It's Xmas week! )

[Chris]

Thanks again, Michael, for your help. I have the 3-CD set with Peter Schreier/Walter Olbertz on Brilliant Classics, but the texts are in the original languages only, no English. As before, I have found translations to all but a half dozen works w/o opus, so I'll keep looking.

I think that set includes WoO 74 as a song, doesn't it? I don't think I have seen that anywhere else. I don't think it's in the DGG Complete Edition, at least.

[Michael]

The "Brilliant" set does indeed include the vocal version of "Ich denke dein". The DGG includes only the four-hand piano set of variations on the tune. I kept reading references to it as a song over the years, but I never heard the original version until the Brilliant set.
It's also included in the Cascade blue box. The DGG compilers were very choosy about some works.