Charles Koechlin Le thé / The tea

In Classics, Songs, Songs in French by Vogler & Lindqvist1 Comment

Le thé  by  Théodore Faullin de Banville

Miss Ellen, versez-moi le Thé
Dans la belle tasse chinoise,
Où des poissons d’or cherchent noise
Au monstre rose épouvanté.

J’aime la folle cruauté
Des chimères qu’on apprivoise:
Miss Ellen, versez-moi le Thé
Dans la belle tasse chinoise.

Là sous un ciel rouge irrité,
Une dame fière et sournoise
Montre en ses longs yeux de turquoise
L’extase et la naïveté:
Miss Ellen, versez-moi le Thé.

The Tea translation by Hélène Lindqvist

Miss Ellen, pour me some tea
into the beautiful china cup
on which golden fish quarrel
with a terrified pink monster

I love the mad cruelty
of wild dreams that have been tamed;
Miss Ellen, pour me the tea
into the beautiful china cup

There, under a red irritated sky
A lady proud and devious
shows in her long turquoise blue eyes
ecstasy and naïvety:
Miss Ellen, pour me some tea.

Learn more about Charles Koechlin here.

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Comments

  1. Dear Hélène and Philipp,
    as always a fantastic recording – what a shame the song isn’t longer!
    Nice to see you got out the acrylic paints for the illustration.
    Ciao Bennie

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