Spleen

Les roses étaient toutes rouges,
Et les lierres étaient tout noirs.
Chère, pour peu que tu te bouges,
Renaissent tous mes désespoirs.

Le ciel était [trop bleu, trop tendre,]1
La mer trop [verte et l'air trop doux;]2
Je crains toujours, ce qu'est d'attendre,
Quelque fuite atroce de vous!

Du houx à la feuille vernie,
Et du luisant buis je suis las,
Et de la campagne infinie,
Et de tout, fors de vous. Hélas!

by Paul Verlaine (1844-1896) , "Spleen", from Romances sans paroles, in Aquarelles, no. 2

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Catherine Alphonse , "Spleen"
by Charles Bordes (1863-1909) , "Spleen"
by Claude Achille Debussy (1862-1918) , "Spleen", from Ariettes Oubliées, no. 6.
by Bernard van Dieren (1887-1936) , "Spleen", published 1927.
by Albert Phaneuf (1919-1978) , "Spleen", under the pseudonym Maurice Dela
by Irena Regina Poldowski, née Wieniawski (1880-1932) , "Spleen", published 1912.
by L. Schopfer , "Spleen", published 1912.
by Louis Vierne (1870-1937) , "Spleen", op. 38 no. 3 (1916), from Spleens et Détresses, no. 3.

by John Ireland (1879-1962) , "Spleen (after Paul Verlaine)", published 1917 [voice and piano], from Marigold, no. 3.

ENG English (Corinne Orde)
ITA Italian (Amici Musica di Padova)

Date added to the website: 2003-10-20.

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Spleen (after Paul Verlaine)

Around were all the roses red
The ivy all around was black.
Dear, so thou only move thine head,
Shall all mine old despairs awake!

Too blue, too tender was the sky,
The air too soft, too green the sea.
Always I fear, I know not why,
Some lamentable flight from thee.

I am so tired of holly-sprays
And weary of the bright box-tree,
Of all the endless country ways;
Of everything alas! save thee.

by Ernest Dowson (1867-1900) , "After Paul Verlaine III", from Decorations, published 1899

a text in French by Paul Verlaine (1844-1896) , "Spleen", from Romances sans paroles, in Aquarelles, no. 2 ITA

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by John Ireland (1879-1962) , "Spleen (after Paul Verlaine)", published 1917 [voice and piano], from Marigold, no. 3.

Date added to the website: 2003-12-02.