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.
About 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.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
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- Also set in English, a translation by H. D. Banning ; composed by Arturo Luzzatti.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
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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.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
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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
Von lilienweißen Schmetterlingen Ziehn Scharen über Berg und Kluft; Ihr schönen Falter, trügen Schwingen Mich gleich den euren durch die Luft! Nun, schwarzgeaugte Bajadere, Sprich, wohin flöge ich geschwind Als Schmetterling im blauen Meere Der Luft -- weißt du es, schönstes Kind? Nicht um den Kuß der Rose würbe Ich, Liebste, nein, ich eilte fern Zu deinem süßen Mund und stürbe Dort, Blume meiner Seele, gern!
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Karl Vollheim , "Ein Wunsch" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
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
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Gustav Hasse (1834 - 1889), "Wunsch", op. 23 (Fünf Gesänge für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1876 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Bote & Bock [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2011-11-02
Line count: 12
Word count: 65