Les Chansons Des Roses: V. Dirait-On Songtext
von Morten Lauridsen

Dirait-on

Abandon entouré d′abandon, tendresse touchant aux tendresses...
Ah-ban-don an-too-ray dah-bon-don, ten-dreh-sseuh too-shan o ten-dreh-seuh
C'est ton intérieur qui sans cesse se caresse, dirait-on;
Say ton ihn-tay-ree-euhr kee san sseh-seuh seuh ka-reh-seuh, dee-ray-ton
Se caresse en soi-même, par son propre reflet éclairé.
Seuh ka-reh-seuh en soah-meh-meuh, par son pro-preuh reh-fleh ey-cleh-ray
Ainsi tu inventes le thème du Narcisse exaucé.
Ihn-see tu ihn-ven-teuh leuh teh-meuh du nar-see-seuh egg-zo-say

Literal translations (close to word-for-word):


Translation 1:
Abandon surrounding abandon, Tenderness touching tenderness...
Your oneness endlessly Caresses itself, so they say;
Self-caressing through its own clear reflection.
Thus you invent the theme of Narcissus fulfilled.

Translation 2:
Abandon enveloping abandon, Tenderness brushing tendernesses,
Who you are sustains you eternally, so they say;
Your very being is nourished by its own enlightened reflection;
So you compose the theme of Narcissus redeemed.

Translation that better captures the poetic intent:

Wildness surrounding wildness,
Tenderness touching tenderness,
It is your own core that you ceaselessly caress,
... as they say.

It is your own center that you caress,
Your own reflection gives you light.
And in this way, you show us how Narcissus is redeemed.