Barcarolle
Jacques Offenbach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Souris nos ivresses,
Nuit plus douce que le jour,
belle nuit d'amour!
Le temps fuit et sans retour
Emporte nos tendresses,
Loin de cet heureux sjour
Le temps fuit sans retour.
Zphyrs embrass,
Versez-nous vos caresses,
Zphyrs embrass,
Donnez-nous vos baisers!
vos baisers! vos baisers! Ah!
Belle nuit, nuit d'amour,
Souris nos ivresses,
Nuit plus douce que le jour,
belle nuit d'amour!
The above lyrics are from Jacques Offenbach’s iconic song Barcarolle, which is sung in Act Three of his most famous opera, Les contes d'Hoffmann. This duet between two female characters, Giulietta and Nicklausse, expresses the beauty and magic of the night, as well as the fleeting nature of time and love. The lyrics begin by praising the night as a time of love and indulgence, sweeter than any day. The second stanza brings a sense of melancholy, as the characters lament the transience of their happiness and how time will take it away.
The final part of the song is a call for the zephyrs or gentle breezes to embrace them and to give them kisses. It highlights the sensuality and romanticism of the opera, while also conveying a sense of yearning and longing. Overall, the lyrics of Barcarolle emphasize the dichotomy of life and love, between the ephemeral and the eternal.
Line by Line Meaning
Belle nuit, nuit d'amour,
Beautiful night, night of love,
Souris nos ivresses,
Smile upon our drunkenness,
Nuit plus douce que le jour,
Night sweeter than the day,
belle nuit d'amour!
Beautiful night of love!
Le temps fuit et sans retour
Time flees and never returns,
Emporte nos tendresses,
Carrying away our tenderness,
Loin de cet heureux sjour
Far from this happy refuge,
Le temps fuit sans retour.
Time flees and never returns.
Zphyrs embrass,
Zephyrs embrace us,
Versez-nous vos caresses,
Shower us with your caresses,
Zphyrs embrass,
Zephyrs embrace us,
Donnez-nous vos baisers!
Give us your kisses!
vos baisers! vos baisers! Ah!
Your kisses! Your kisses! Ah!
Belle nuit, nuit d'amour,
Beautiful night, night of love,
Souris nos ivresses,
Smile upon our drunkenness,
Nuit plus douce que le jour,
Night sweeter than the day,
belle nuit d'amour!
Beautiful night of love!
Contributed by Caleb I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ClassicalMusicOnly
Hello classical music lovers! you can now discover unknown masterpieces, create lists, discuss and review works/composers
on our new website https://classicalmusiconly.com
@donsolitario
i love rock and roll
@jennifergoodey1052
Classical Music Only h
@queencleo1151
I love it! I've had it in my head for ages too! Wish I had someone to dance it with me.... It brings tears to my eyes - I don't know why.... Enjoy!!!!
@josefagonzalez9673
I love this just now spent 30 min. searching. It's so beautiful
@jeancome8848
@@donsolitarioMozart était rock and roll et beaucoup d'autres compositeurs classiques 😉
@CaptainMorganThe3rd
I FOUND IT!!! I've had this piece stuck in my head for over a year and a half after hearing it on the radio, always wondering what it was and who composed it, and now I'VE FINALLY FOUND IT!!!! This is the happiest I've been in a long, long time. I can't believe it! Just as beautiful as I remembered it to be. What a wonderful day this turned out to be
@shengwu9077
Gee that must have been painful..
@beratpolatoglu3680
7 year... again
@MartinSchuler
Then enjoy this one. :-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFIRGzDZxgQ