Clair de Lune
12. Dame Moura Lympany Debussy: Clair De Lune Lyrics

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"Votre âme est un paysage choisi
Que vont charmant masques et bergamasques
Jouant du luth et dansant et quasi
Tristes sous leurs déguisements fantasques

Tout en chantant sur le mode mineur
L'amour vainqueur et la vie opportune
Ils n'ont pas l'air de croire à leur bonheur

Et leur chanson se mêle au clair de lune

Au calme clair de lune triste et beau
Qui fait rêver les oiseaux dans les arbres
Et sangloter d'extase les jets d'eau
Les grands jets d'eau sveltes parmi les marbres

Your soul is a chosen landscape
Bewitched by masque and bergamasque
Playing the lute and dancing and almost
Sad beneath their fanciful disguises

Singing as they go in a minor key
Of conquering love and life's favours
They don't quite seem to believe in their fortune
And their song mingles with the light of the moon

The calm light of the moon, sad and fair
That sets the birds dreaming in the trees

And the fountains sobbing in their rapture
Tall and svelte amid the marble statues"

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Clair De Lune" by Debussy paint a vivid picture of a soul that is compared to a chosen landscape that is captivated by enchanting masks and characters called bergamasques. These characters play the lute, dance, and wear whimsical disguises. Although they sing in a melancholic tone, expressing triumphant love and the opportunities life offers them, they don't appear to truly believe in their own happiness. Their song, filled with mixed emotions, blends with the moonlight.

The second verse describes the moonlight as calm, sad, and beautiful. It creates a dreamlike atmosphere that enchants the birds in the trees, making them dream. The moonlight also evokes great emotion, causing the fountains to sob with ecstasy. These fountains are described as tall and slender amid the statues made of marble.

Overall, the lyrics portray a scene of enchantment and melancholy, where individuals wear masks and disguise their true feelings. They sing of love and the opportunities life presents, but their lack of belief in their own happiness is evident. The moonlight serves as a backdrop, casting a calm and sad beauty, influencing the birds and fountains to experience deep emotions. The imagery suggests a contrast between outward appearances and inner emotions, creating a sense of longing and contemplation.

Line by Line Meaning

Votre âme est un paysage choisi
Your soul is a carefully chosen landscape

Que vont charmant masques et bergamasques
Being charmed by masks and bergamasques

Jouant du luth et dansant et quasi
Playing the lute and dancing, almost

Tristes sous leurs déguisements fantasques
Sad beneath their whimsical disguises

Tout en chantant sur le mode mineur
All while singing in a minor key

L'amour vainqueur et la vie opportune
Of conquering love and opportune life

Ils n'ont pas l'air de croire à leur bonheur
They don't seem to believe in their own happiness

Et leur chanson se mêle au clair de lune
And their song blends with the moonlight

Au calme clair de lune triste et beau
In the calm, sad and beautiful moonlight

Qui fait rêver les oiseaux dans les arbres
That makes the birds dream in the trees

Et sangloter d'extase les jets d'eau
And makes the fountains sob with ecstasy