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by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896)
Translation © by Emily Ezust
Le ciel est, par‑dessus le toit
Language: French (Français)
Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit, Si bleu, si calme ! Un arbre, par-dessus le toit, Berce sa palme. La cloche, dans le ciel qu'on voit, Doucement tinte. Un oiseau sur l'arbre qu'on voit Chante sa plainte. Mon Dieu, mon Dieu, la vie est là Simple et tranquille. Cette paisible rumeur-là Vient de la ville. Qu'as-tu fait, ô toi que voilà Pleurant sans cesse, Dis, qu'as-tu fait, toi que voilà, De ta jeunesse ?
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• W. Bon • B. Britten • J. Carpenter • F. Delius • M. Déodat de Séverac • G. Fauré • R. Hahn • H. Panizza • L. VierneAbout the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), no title, written 1880, appears in Sagesse, in Sagesse III, no. 6, Paris, Société générale de Librairie Catholique, first published 1881 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Georges Antoine (1892 - 1918), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Baraquin (b. 1968), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit " [sung text not yet checked]
- by Madeleine Baud (1894 - ?), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", [1939], published 1944 [ voice and piano ], from Dix mélodies pour chant et piano, Genève, Édition du siècle musical [sung text not yet checked]
- by Grégoire Beznosiuk , "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", published 1959 [ voice and guitar ], from Calembredaines, no. 4, Paris, Éditions de l'Épi [sung text not yet checked]
- by Philippe Blay (b. 1960), "Si bleu, si calme", 1996 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Willem Frederik Bon (1940 - 1983), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", op. 10 no. 1, published 1967 [ mezzo-soprano, flute, cello, and piano ], from Trois poèmes de Verlaine, no. 1, Amsterdam, Donemus [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Raymond Bonheur (1861 - 1939), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit" [ voice and piano ], from Trois poèmes de Verlaine (de Sagesse) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Serge Bortkiewicz (1877 - 1952), "Le ciel est, par dessus le toit", op. 23 no. 7, published 1925 [ high voice and piano ], from Sept Poésies de Paul Verlaine = Sieben Gedichte von Paul Verlaine, no. 7, Leipzig, Milan: Éd. Elite No. 205 Edition D. Rahter (4408), also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Sagesse", 1928, published 1982 [ voice and piano ], from Quatre chansons françaises, no. 2, London, Faber music [sung text checked 1 time]
- by John Alden Carpenter (1876 - 1951), "Le ciel", published 1912 [ voice and piano ], from Four Poems by Paul Verlaine, no. 3, New York, Schirmer [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Suzanne Coquelin , "Sagesse", 1910, published 1911 [ medium voice and piano ], Paris, Éd. Édouard Jouve [sung text not yet checked]
- by Lucien Darras (b. 1922), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", [1945] [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Frederick Delius (1862 - 1934), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", 1895, published 1896 [ voice and piano ], from Songs to poems by Paul Verlaine, no. 2, Paris, Grus ; later published 1910 in Cöln, Tischer und Jagenberg [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Marie-Joseph-Alexandre Déodat de Séverac (1872 - 1921), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", 1897, published 1904 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Édition mutuelle ; later published Paris, Rouart Lerolle, 1924 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Albert Doyen (1882 - 1935), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", published 1914 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Leduc et Cie [sung text not yet checked]
- by André Dulaurens (1873 - 1932), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", op. 16 no. 3, published 1912? [ voice and piano ], from Quatre Mélodies sur des Poésies de Paul Verlaine, no. 3, Éd. Rouart, Lerolle &é Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louis Durey (1888 - 1979), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", op. 2 (Trois poèmes) no. 2 (1914) [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gabriel Fauré (1845 - 1924), "Prison", op. 83 no. 1 (1894), published 1896 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Fromont ; with an English translation by Adela Maddison [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Gérard Frasca , "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", op. 4 no. 1 (1946) [ voice and piano ], from Deux mélodies pour soprano, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alfred-Joseph Goffin (1875 - 1939), "Le ciel", [1909] [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Reynaldo Hahn (1874 - 1947), "D'une prison", 1892, published 1894 [ medium voice and piano ], from Mélodies - 1er volume, no. 16, Paris, Heugel [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Pavel Ivanovich Kovalev (1889 - 1951), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", op. 19 no. 5, published 1925 [ voice and piano ], from Six chansons sur des poésies de Paul Verlaine, no. 5, Moscow [sung text not yet checked]
- by Raoul Laparra (1876 - 1943), "Remords", published 1914 [ bass or contralto and piano ], from Cinq mélodies sur des poèmes de Verlaine, no. 5, Paris, Éd. J. Hamelle [sung text not yet checked]
- by Konstantin Nikolayevich L'dov (1862 - 1935), "La Sagesse", op. 96 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Le Flem (1881 - 1984), "D'une prison", published [1930] [ voice and piano ], Paris, P. Le Flem [sung text not yet checked]
- by Madeleine Lemariey (flourished c1900-1915), "Sagesse", published 1913 [ voice and piano ], from Six mélodies, no. 4, Paris, Édition Maurice Sénart [sung text not yet checked]
- by Guillemette Marrannes (b. 1954), "Sagesse", 1999 [ high voice and piano ], from Sensation, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Guy Marrimpouey, dit Guy Bénadit (b. 1917), "Chanson douce", 1954 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Nina de Maschkausan, dit Annie Rozanne (b. 1915), as Annie Rozanne, "Extase", [1946] [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Erkki Gustaf Melartin (1875 - 1937), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", op. 42 (7 Lieder mit Klavier) no. 6 (1900) [ voice and piano ], also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Maria Mérina , "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", [1910] [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Klaus Miehling (b. 1963), "Le ciel", op. 85 no. 2 (2001), published 2002 [ eight-part chorus (SSAATTBB chorus) ], from Sieben Chansons zu acht Stimmen nach Texten von Paul Verlaine, no. 2, Goldbach [sung text not yet checked]
- by Léon Moreau (1870 - 1946), "Berceuse", published 1896 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Dupont Eschig [sung text not yet checked]
- by Georges (Jerzy) Nawrocki , "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", 2019 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Frits Noske (b. 1920), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", published 1944 [ voice and piano ], from Trois poèmes de Verlaine, no. 2, Amsterdam, Alsbach [sung text not yet checked]
- by Semyon Viktorovich Panchenko (1867 - 1937), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", op. 11 no. 1, published 1901 [ voice and piano ], Moscow and Leipzig, also set in Russian (Русский) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Héctor Panizza (1875 - 1967), "D'une Prison", op. 24a, copyright © 1911 [ voice and piano ], New York, Éd. G. Schirmer; Boston: Boston Music; note: we have added the letter 'a' to the opus because this edition uses the opus number alone, while another publisher has used op. 24 for a set of nine songs [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Bernard Panouillot , "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", [1952] [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jean-Frédéric Perrenoud (b. 1912), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", published [1958] [ voice and piano ], from Sagesse : Trois poèmes de Verlaine, no. 3, Paris, J.-F. Perrenoud [sung text not yet checked]
- by Riccardo Pick-Mangiagalli (1882 - 1949), "Qu'as-tu fait de ta jeunesse ?", published 1910 [ voice and piano ], from Quatre chansons, no. 3, Vienna, Universal Edition [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Porthmann , "Qu'as-tu fait de ta jeunnesse ?", 1901 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Joseph Ryelandt (1870 - 1965), "Le prisonnier", op. 19 (Six mélodies) no. 3 (1897), published 1914 [ medium voice and piano ], Liège, Éd. Veuve Leopold Muraille [sung text not yet checked]
- by Erkki Salmenhaara (1941 - 2002), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", published 1960 [ voice and piano ], Helsinki, Fazer [sung text not yet checked]
- by Sebastian Benson Schlesinger (1837 - 1917), "D'une prison", op. 74 no. 4, published 1901 [ voice and piano ], Zunz, Quinzard [sung text not yet checked]
- by Martha Helen Schmidt (b. 1956), "Le ciel est, par dessus le toit", copyright © 2008 [ high voice and piano ], from Trois mélodies for high voice and piano, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louis Schopfer (1867 - 1926), "Le ciel est, par dessus le toit", published 1912 [ medium voice and piano ], from Cinq mélodies, no. 4, Paris, Ricordi [sung text not yet checked]
- by Claude Tricot (b. 1926), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toît" [ high voice and piano ], from Mélodies, recueil 2, no. 10, Paris, Éd. Choudens [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louis Vierne (1870 - 1937), "Qu'as-tu fait de ta jeunnesse ?", op. 11 no. 3 (1896), published 1898 [ medium voice and piano ], from Trois mélodies sur Gautier et Verlaine, no. 3, Éd. Eugène Fromont [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Julia Weissberg (1878 - 1942), "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", op. 2 (Zwei Lieder) no. 1, published 1911 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, M. P. Belaïeff, also set in Russian (Русский) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Sylvia Wisner , "D'une prison", published 1952 [ voice and piano ], Paris, A. Wisner [sung text not yet checked]
- by Werther Zanolli , "Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit", published 1931 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Sénart [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Mabel (White) Dearmer (1872 - 1915) ; composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
- Also set in English, a translation by Ashmore Kyle Paterson Wingate (1881 - 1926?30) , appears in Poems by Verlaine, London and Newcastle, Walter Scott Publishing Company, first published 1904 ; composed by Cecil Coles.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Ernst Hardt (1876 - 1947) ; composed by Rudolf Mengelberg.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Cäsar (Otto Hugo) Flaischlen (1864 - 1920) , "Im Gefängnis", appears in Aus den Lehr- und Wanderjahren des Lebens, in Höhen-entlang, in Übertragungen, no. 3 ; composed by Franz Dannehl, Helmut Paulsen.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Karl Bulcke (1875 - 1936) , "Klarer Himmel", appears in Die Töchter der Salome, in Vermischte Gedichte ; composed by Erkki Gustaf Melartin.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Serge Bortkiewicz (1877 - 1952) , "Der Himmel dort über dem Dach" ; composed by Serge Bortkiewicz.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Vassily Vasilyevich Nechayev.
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Aleksandr Alekseyevich Olenin.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Julia Weissberg.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Fyodor Kuzmych Teternikov (1863 - 1927) , "Из Поля Верлена", written 1893 ; composed by Semyon Viktorovich Panchenko.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- CHI Chinese (中文) (Yen-Chiang Che) , "監禁", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- CHI Chinese (中文) [singable] (Dr Huaixing Wang) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Píseň"
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , no title, copyright © 2016
- ENG English (Ernest Christopher Dowson) , no title, appears in Decorations, in After Paul Verlaine, no. 4
- ENG English (Amy Pfrimmer) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Il cielo, lassù oltre il tetto", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (José Miguel Llata) , "Desde la prisión", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 73
Over the roof, the sky is
Language: English after the French (Français)
Over the roof, the sky is So blue, so calm! Above the roof, a tree Waves its foliage. In the sky one can see the bell Softly ringing. On the tree one can see a bird Singing its lament. My God, my God, life is there, Simple and tranquil. This peaceful rumor there Comes from the town. What have you done, o you there, Weeping without end, Tell me, what have you done, you there, With your youth?
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2016 by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive -- https://www.lieder.net/For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), no title, written 1880, appears in Sagesse, in Sagesse III, no. 6, Paris, Société générale de Librairie Catholique, first published 1881
This text was added to the website: 2016-03-05
Line count: 16
Word count: 78