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by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872)
Translation © by Peter Low
Les papillons couleur de neige
Language: French (Français)
Les papillons couleur de neige Volent par essaims sur la mer ; Beaux papillons blancs, quand pourrai-je Prendre le bleu chemin de l'air ? Savez-vous, ô belle des belles, Ma bayadère aux yeux de jais, S'ils me [pouvaient]1 prêter leurs ailes, Dites, savez-vous où j'irais ? Sans prendre un seul baiser aux roses, À travers vallons et forêts, J'irais à vos lèvres mi-closes, Fleur de mon âme, et j'y mourrais.
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• A. Choudens • F. Pedrell • J. Radoux • M. de Rothschild • L. VierneAbout the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Note: this poem was titled "Pantoum" in L'Eldorado and Fortunio, and titled "Les papillons" in other editions.
1 in some settings, "voulaient"; we will add further information when we obtain it.Text Authorship:
- by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872), title 1: "Les papillons", title 2: "Pantoum", written 1837, appears in La Comédie de la Mort, first published 1838 [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 Max Arham (flourished 1911-1917), "Les papillons", <<1911 [ high voice and piano ], from Douze mélodies, 2e série, no. 26, Paris, Maurice Senart, B. Roudanez & Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Zacharie Astruc (1835 - 1907), "Les papillons", published 1870 [ high voice and piano ], Paris, J. Hiélard [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edmond Berger , "Les papillons", published [1855] [ medium voice and piano ], from 3 Mélodies, no. 2, Paris, G. Flaxland [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jacques(-Joseph-Andé) Bouhy (1848 - 1929), "Les papillons", <<1874 [ high voice and piano ], Éd. A. O’Kelly (A.O.K.) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louis-Albert Bourgault-Ducoudray (1840 - 1910), "Les papillons", published [1880] [ voice and piano ], Rouart, Lerolle & Cie [sung text not yet checked]
- by Émile Bourgeois (1849 - 1922), "Les papillons", published [1889] [ high voice and piano ], Paris, Louis Gregh [sung text not yet checked]
- by A. Bourlant-Ladam , "Les papillons" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Otto Bouwens van der Boijen (1872 - 1922), "Les papillons", op. 5 (1894), published 1905? [ medium voice and piano ], from Mélodies, no. 2, Paris, Éd. O Bouwens van der Boijen & Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles-Samuel Bovy-Lysberg (1821 - 1873), "Pantoum", subtitle: "Rêverie orientale", published <<1904 [ soprano and piano ], Genève, Éd. H. Golaz-Kaiser [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gaston Carraud (1864 - 1920), "Les papillons blancs", subtitle: "Rêverie", published 1893 [ high voice and piano ], from Trois mélodies, no. 1, Paris, 'Au Ménestrel', Heugel & Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Cécile Chaminade (1857 - 1944), "Les papillons", published 1878 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernest Amédée Chausson (1855 - 1899), "Les papillons", op. 2 (Sept mélodies) no. 3, published 1883 [ voice and piano ], Paris, J. Hamelle [sung text not yet checked]
- by Antony Choudens (1849 - 1902), "Les papillons", published c1872 [ voice and piano ], from 20 Mélodies, no. 3, Paris: Choudens [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Marie Damaschino (1850 - 1921), as Mario Foscarina, "Les papillons", published 1884 [ low voice and piano ], from Trois mélodies sur des poèmes de Théophile Gautier, no. 1, Paris, G. Hartmann [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alfredo D'Ambrosio (1871 - 1914), "Les papillons couleur de neige", published 1913 [ voice and piano ], Paris, G. Ricordi [sung text not yet checked]
- by Claude Achille Debussy (1862 - 1918), "Les papillons", L. 21/(-) (1881) [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Joseph Depret , "Les papillons" [ high voice and piano ], from Sept mélodies, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Victor Dolmetsch (d. 1904), "Les papillons", published 1879 [ medium voice and piano ], from Trois poésies, no. 3, Paris, Thédore Michaelis [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Charles Gustave) Alban Cocural Dorcy (1856 - 1931), "Les papillons", subtitle: "Pantoum" [ medium voice and piano ], from Vingt mélodies pour chant et piano, no. 6, Paris, V. Durdilly [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eugène Ébaudy de Fresne (1816 - 1895), as Jean Michaëli, "Papillons blancs", subtitle: "Rêverie", published 1842 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Bernard Latte [sung text not yet checked]
- by Georges Flé , "Les papillons", published 1898 [ medium voice and piano ], from Poésies mises en musique, no. 2, Édition du Mercure de France [sung text not yet checked]
- by Achille Fould, Baron (1800 - 1867), "Les papillons", published 1889 [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and piano ], Paris, P. Pigeon [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Gallois (1842 - 1902), "Les papillons", published 1879 [ vocal duet for soprano and contralto with piano ], from Deux duettos à 2 voix égales, no. 1, Paris, Durand [sung text not yet checked]
- by Benjamin Louis Paul Godard (1849 - 1895), "Les papillons", op. 15 [ voice and piano ], Éd. Enoch Père & Fils [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ludovico Graziani, Comte (1820 - 1885), "Les papillons - Romance", published 1867 [ medium voice and piano ], Paris, G. A. Muller [sung text not yet checked]
- by Serge Gut (1927 - 2014), "Papillons", 1955 [ soprano and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Émile Jaques-Dalcroze (1865 - 1950), "Les papillons", c1885 [ high voice and piano ], from Vingt mélodies, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Léon Jouret (1828 - 1905), "Pantoum", published 1858 [ male voice and piano ], Paris, Ganivet & Bruxelles [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gustave Kéfer (b. 1855), "Les papillons", op. 2 no. 3 [ medium voice and piano ], from Huit mélodies, no. 3, Leipzig, Éd. Otto Junne [sung text not yet checked]
- by Guy de Kervéguen, Vicomte (1857 - 1896), "Les papillons", published 1878 [ voice and piano ], from Six mélodies avec accompagnement de piano, no. 6, Paris, J. Hamelle [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henri Kowalski (1841 - 1916), "Les papillons", published 1880 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Ed. J. Hiélard [sung text not yet checked]
- by Théodore Lack (1846 - 1921), "Les papillons", published 1887 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Henri Heugel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Adam Laussel, dit Adam-Laussel (1845 - 1893), "Les papillons", published 1899 [ low voice and piano ], Paris, A. Leduc [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Louis Iwan Le Grand (1894 - 1964), "Les Papillons", op. 39, published 1945, copyright © 1945 [ high voice and piano ], Paris, Société anonyme des éditions Ricordi [sung text not yet checked]
- by Omer Létourneau (1891 - 1983), "Les papillons", c1917, copyright © 1992 [ high voice and piano ], Ottawa, Canadian musical heritage society, ed. Lucien Poirier [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jacques Marsyas , "Les papillons" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Theophilus Julius Henry Marzials (1850 - 1920), "Papillons blancs", published 1891? [ high voice and piano ], from Album of six songs, no. 4, London, Boosey & Co [sung text not yet checked]
- by Anna Naze , "Pantoum : Chant malais", published c1851, Paris, Henri Lemoine [sung text not yet checked]
- by Émile Paladilhe (1844 - 1926), "Les papillons", 1873 [ voice and piano ], from Vingt mélodies pour chant, no. 6, Paris, Éd. G. Hartmann [sung text not yet checked]
- by Georges-Louis Pantillon (1896 - 1992), "Les papillons", 1925 [ voice and piano ], from 8 mélodies (1922-1982), no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Édouard Pascal , "Les papillons", published 1874 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], from 25 Morceaux de chant, 2ème recueil, no. 17, Imprimerie de Arony [sung text not yet checked]
- by Felipe Pedrell (1841 - 1922), "Les papillons", subtitle: "Pantoum", published 1877 [ high voice and piano ], from Consolations - 12 Mélodies sur des poésies de Théophile Gautier, no. 8, Milan: Francesco Lucca [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Émile Pessard (1843 - 1917), "Les papillons", published 1891 [ tenor or soprano and piano ], from Vingt mélodies, no. 4, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Leduc, also set in Italian (Italiano) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jules Philipot (1824 - 1897), "Les papillons", op. 122 [ high voice and piano ], from Poèmes et Chants, Poésies de Théophile Gautier, no. 3, Paris, Léon Grus [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henry Hugo Pierson (1816 - 1873), "Les papillons", published 1880 [ high voice and piano ], Paris, Ed. Henry Lemoine [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jean-Théodore Radoux (1835 - 1911), "Les papillons", published 1865 [ high voice and piano ], from Vingt mélodies, 1er recueil, no. 2, Paris, E. Heu [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Jules Regnaud , "Les papillons", op. 4 (Trois mélodies) no. 2, published 1867 [ high voice and piano ], Paris, G. Flaxland [sung text not yet checked]
- by Marie Félicie Clémence de Reiset (1828 - 1907), as Vicomtesse de Grandval, "Les papillons", published [1893] [ medium voice and piano ], E. Fromont [sung text not yet checked]
- by Albert Renaud (1855 - 1924), "Les papillons", published 1883 [ tenor or soprano and piano ], from Quatre mélodies, no. 3, Paris, Henri Tellier [sung text not yet checked]
- by José Paulino Rolón Alcaraz (c1876 - 1945), "Beaux papillons", 1917 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Mathilde, Baroness Willy de Rothschild (1832 - 1924), "Les papillons couleur de neige", published 1878 [ voice and piano ], from Trente mélodies, no. 30, Paris, Durand, Schoenewerk & Cie. [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Gaston Sarreau (1850 - 1935), "Papillons blancs", published 1898 [ soprano and piano ], Paris, Paul Dupont [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur de Sinéty, Comte , "Les papillons", published 1869 [ medium voice and piano ], from Huit mélodies, no. 7, Éd. Sylvain Saint-Étienne [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur Goring Thomas (1850 - 1892), "Les papillons", published [1883] [ voice and piano ], from Mélodies, no. 10, London, Metzler & Co. Limited, also set in English [sung text not yet checked]
- by Fernand de la Tombelle (1854 - 1928), "Les papillons", published 1891 [ voice and piano ], from Chansons et rêveries, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Francesco Paolo Tosti (1846 - 1916), "Les papillons", 1879 [ medium voice and piano ], also set in Italian (Italiano) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louis Vierne (1870 - 1937), "Beaux papillons blancs", op. 11 no. 1 (1895), published [1898] [ high voice and piano ], from Trois mélodies sur Gautier et Verlaine, no. 1, Paris, E. Fromont [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Anselm Vinée (1847 - 1921), "Les papillons -- Pantoum", 1902 [ voice and piano ], unpublished [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jacques-Michel Zoubaloff (1876 - 1941), "Les papillons", copyright © 1925 [ medium voice and piano ], from Quatre poésies de Théophile Gautier, no. 3, from Mélodies, no. 4, Paris, Léon Grus (QPdTG) ; and Éd. Maurice Senart (M) [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation possibly by Paul England (c1863 - c1932); composed by Percy Reeve.
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- Also set in English, a translation by H. D. Banning ; composed by Arturo Luzzatti.
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- Also set in English, a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Bainbridge Crist.
- 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 English, a translation by Theophilus Julius Henry Marzials (1850 - 1920) ; composed by Arthur Goring Thomas.
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- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Karl Vollheim , "Ein Wunsch" ; composed by Gustav Hasse.
- Also set in Italian (Italiano), a translation by Giuseppe Zaffira (flourished 1868-1886) ; composed by Émile Pessard.
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- Also set in Italian (Italiano), a translation by Angelo Zanardini (1820 - 1893) ; composed by Ettore Perosio, Francesco Paolo Tosti.
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Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CHI Chinese (中文) (Dr Huaixing Wang) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Motýli"
- ENG English (Peter Low) , no title, copyright © 2000, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Amy Pfrimmer) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 67
The snow‑white butterflies
Language: English after the French (Français)
The snow-white butterflies fly in swarms over the sea. Beautiful white butterflies, when can I travel the blue path of the air? Tell me, oh fairest of the fair, my dancing-girl with the jet-black eyes - if they were to lend me their wings, do you know where I would fly? Not taking one kiss from the roses, I'd fly across valleys and forests to alight on your half-closed lips (oh my soul's chosen flower!) - and there I'd die.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translation of title "Les papillons" = "The butterflies"Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2000 by Peter Low, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872), title 1: "Les papillons", title 2: "Pantoum", written 1837, appears in La Comédie de la Mort, first published 1838
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 78