Les papillons

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.

by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811-1872) , "Les papillons", from La Comédie de la Mort, 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 Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944) , "Les papillons", published 1878.
by Ernest Amédée Chausson (1855-1899) , "Les papillons", op. 2 no. 3.
by Claude Achille Debussy (1862-1918) , "Les papillons"
by Benjamin Louis Paul Godard (1849-1895) , "Les papillons", from Chansons de Mois.
by Émile Paladilhe (1844-1926) , "Les papillons"
by Francesco Paolo Tosti (1846-1916) , "Les papillons", published 1879. [voice and piano]

ENG English (Peter Low)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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Sheet music:

  Search sheetmusicplus.com for Les papillons, Art song , Lieder, chansons, or works for solo voice
  Search musicroom.com for Les papillons, vocal/choral music

CDs:

  Search amazon.com for Les papillons, art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for Les papillons, art song, Lieder, or chansons

Books:

  The Art of the Song Recital [amazon.com]
  The Book of Lieder: The Original Texts of Over 1000 Songs [amazon.com]
  French Song Companion [amazon.com]
  Search amazon.com for art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for art song, lieder, or chansons

Classical Vocal Repertoire