Puisque rien ne t'arrête en cet heureux pays,
Ni l'ombre du palmier, ni le jaune maïs,
Ni le repos, ni l'abondance,
Ni de voir à ta voix battre le jeune sein
De nos sœurs, dont, les soirs, le tournoyant essaim
Couronne un coteau de sa danse,
Adieu! Beau voyageur, hélas, adieu.
Oh ! que n'es-tu de ceux
Qui donnent pour limite à leurs pieds paresseux
Leur toit de branches ou de toiles !
Qui, rêveurs, sans en faire, écoutent les récits,
Et souhaitent, le soir, devant leur porte assis,
de s'en aller dans les étoiles !
Hélas, adieu! Adieu beau voyageur.
Si tu l'avais voulu, peut-être une de nous,
O jeune homme, eût aimé te servir à genoux
Dans nos huttes toujours ouvertes ;
Elle eût fait, en berçant ton sommeil de ses chants,
Pour chasser de ton front les moucherons méchants,
Un éventail de feuilles vertes.
Si tu ne reviens pas, songe un peu quelquefois
Aux filles du désert, sœurs à la douce voix,
Qui dansent pieds nus sur la dune ;
O beau jeune homme blanc, bel oiseau passager,
Souviens-toi, car peut-être, ô rapide étranger,
Ton souvenir reste à plus d'une !
Hélas, adieu! Adieu! Bel étranger, hélas, adieu. Souviens-toi...
Farewell from the Arabic Hostess
Translation by Lisette Oropesa
Since nothing can make you stay in this happy country,
Not the shade of the palm trees, not the yellow corn,
nor the repose or the abundance,
Not even to see how your voice touches the young hearts
of our sisters, who in the evenings, in a twirling frenzy,
crown a hillside with their dance;
Farewell, fair traveler! Alas! Goodbye!
Oh, may you not be one of those
who holds himself back with his lazyness,
or with his enclosed roof of branches or canvas!
Those who dream but don’t act, who hear stories of adventure,
and only wish at night, while seated at their doorstep,
to be out among the stars!
Alas! Farewell! Farewell, fair traveler.
If you had only wanted it, maybe one of us,
oh young man, would have loved to serve you humbly on her knees,
in our huts which are always open.
She would have rocked you to sleep with the lullaby of her songs,
And to chase the annoying flies away from your face,
She would have made a fan of green leaves.
If you never return, dream once in a while
of the daughters of the desert, sisters of the sweetest voice,
who dance barefoot on the dunes;
Oh handsome young white man, lovely vagrant bird,
Remember...remember that perhaps, swift stranger,
your memory will endure with more than one person!
Alas, goodbye! Farewell, fair traveler...Alas, goodbye...remember...
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana to Cuban immigrants, Lisette Oropesa has ascended to the world's major operatic stages. Her
lyric coloratura voice and inspiring personal story have gained her notoriety and recognition as one of the leading talents of her generation....more
There’s a quiet beauty to this remix album of compositions by Michael Vincent Waller, with contributions from JLin, Prefuse 73, & more. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 1, 2024
Somber, beautiful string meditations abound on the debut album by Oxford cellist and composer Lou Lyne and her ensemble. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 30, 2024
Comprising 32 takes on iconic Robert Schumann compositions, the emergent pianist's Pentatone debut is a must-hear for classical fans. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 11, 2024