The lyrics to the song "Après un Rêve" are by a French poet named Roman Bussine, and were later set to music by a French composer named Gabriel Fauré. Fauré is famous for his peaceful, beautiful operatic songs. "Après un Rêve" is a wonderful song about a man who has a dream about a lost lover. The soft rhyming lyrics combined with the beautiful imagery and the lilting tune send the listener into a dream almost as powerful as the speaker of the poem's.
Fauré is still a famous man to this day, even though he lived in the 19th century. His music is very well-respected in the modern musical community. His works are performed on every level from students to professionals. For example, I am currently singing "Après un Rêve" in my voice lessons. I plan to use it in my college auditions as part of my repertoire and in a county- and statewide competition of solo vocal performance.
Romain Bussine was a co-founder of the Société Nationale de Musique in Paris and wrote lots of poetry. Fauré set more than one of Bussine's poems to music. This poem is based on a Tuscan poem about how humans long to live in the world of dreams.
Here are the lyrics in French, followed by the translation:
Dans un sommeil que charmait ton image
Je rêvais le bonheur, ardent mirage;
Tes yeux étaient plus doux, ta voix pure et sonore.
Tu rayonnais comme un ciel éclairé par l'aurore;
Tu m'appelais, et je quittais la terre
Pour m'enfuir avec toi vers la lumière;
Les cieux pour nous entr'ouvraient leurs nues,
Splendeurs inconnues, lueurs divines entrevues . . .
Hélas! Hélas, triste réveil des songes!
Je t'appelle, ô nuit, rends-moi tes mensonges;
Reviens, reviens radieuse,
Reviens, ô nuit mystérieuse!
In a sleep charmed by your image
I dreamed of happiness, ardent mirage;
Your eyes were more tender, your voice pure and clear
You were radiant like a sky brightened by the sunrise;
You called me, and I left the earth
To flee with you towards the light;
The skies opened their clouds for us,
Splendors unknown, glimpses of divine light . . .
Alas! Alas, sad awakening from dreams!
I call you, oh night, give me your illusions;
Return, return radiantly,
Return, oh mysterious night!
I included the French version to illustrate the AB rhyme scheme that Fauré employs. The song has a flowing, dreamlike quality. The lyrics describe a beautiful woman who has come back to see the speaker of the song. I love it because it reminds me of other songs, like the aforementioned "The Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel, and of "Bouncing Around the Room" by Phish. Each of these other songs describe a dream the speaker of the song has had. Phish's song has the same light, airy quality as Fauré's. It also describes a beautiful woman returning to visit the speaker. I believe that Bussine sets himself especially above Phish because his lyrics are much more poetic. Bussine also leaves out obscure drug references, attributing his speaker's dream to natural phenomena.
My favorite part of "Après un Rêve" is the concluding few lines. The speaker is so desperate for the woman and for the dream that he pleads with night to return so he can continue to live in a blissful dream world. It is so easy to identify with. Everyone has had wonderful dreams that they are yanked away from upon waking. Many a time have I woken up and had a powerful longing for my dreams to become reality. The intervals of Fauré's melody are almost a whining tone, imploring the night and the land of dreams to come back to the speaker in addition to the words. The emotion of the speaker is tangible.
"Après un Rêve" is, in my opinion, a masterpiece worthy of praise. I thoroughly enjoy listening to performances of Fauré. Here is a link to a YouTube video of a performance of "Après un Rêve":
Fauré is still a famous man to this day, even though he lived in the 19th century. His music is very well-respected in the modern musical community. His works are performed on every level from students to professionals. For example, I am currently singing "Après un Rêve" in my voice lessons. I plan to use it in my college auditions as part of my repertoire and in a county- and statewide competition of solo vocal performance.
Romain Bussine was a co-founder of the Société Nationale de Musique in Paris and wrote lots of poetry. Fauré set more than one of Bussine's poems to music. This poem is based on a Tuscan poem about how humans long to live in the world of dreams.
Here are the lyrics in French, followed by the translation:
Dans un sommeil que charmait ton image
Je rêvais le bonheur, ardent mirage;
Tes yeux étaient plus doux, ta voix pure et sonore.
Tu rayonnais comme un ciel éclairé par l'aurore;
Tu m'appelais, et je quittais la terre
Pour m'enfuir avec toi vers la lumière;
Les cieux pour nous entr'ouvraient leurs nues,
Splendeurs inconnues, lueurs divines entrevues . . .
Hélas! Hélas, triste réveil des songes!
Je t'appelle, ô nuit, rends-moi tes mensonges;
Reviens, reviens radieuse,
Reviens, ô nuit mystérieuse!
In a sleep charmed by your image
I dreamed of happiness, ardent mirage;
Your eyes were more tender, your voice pure and clear
You were radiant like a sky brightened by the sunrise;
You called me, and I left the earth
To flee with you towards the light;
The skies opened their clouds for us,
Splendors unknown, glimpses of divine light . . .
Alas! Alas, sad awakening from dreams!
I call you, oh night, give me your illusions;
Return, return radiantly,
Return, oh mysterious night!
I included the French version to illustrate the AB rhyme scheme that Fauré employs. The song has a flowing, dreamlike quality. The lyrics describe a beautiful woman who has come back to see the speaker of the song. I love it because it reminds me of other songs, like the aforementioned "The Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel, and of "Bouncing Around the Room" by Phish. Each of these other songs describe a dream the speaker of the song has had. Phish's song has the same light, airy quality as Fauré's. It also describes a beautiful woman returning to visit the speaker. I believe that Bussine sets himself especially above Phish because his lyrics are much more poetic. Bussine also leaves out obscure drug references, attributing his speaker's dream to natural phenomena.
My favorite part of "Après un Rêve" is the concluding few lines. The speaker is so desperate for the woman and for the dream that he pleads with night to return so he can continue to live in a blissful dream world. It is so easy to identify with. Everyone has had wonderful dreams that they are yanked away from upon waking. Many a time have I woken up and had a powerful longing for my dreams to become reality. The intervals of Fauré's melody are almost a whining tone, imploring the night and the land of dreams to come back to the speaker in addition to the words. The emotion of the speaker is tangible.
"Après un Rêve" is, in my opinion, a masterpiece worthy of praise. I thoroughly enjoy listening to performances of Fauré. Here is a link to a YouTube video of a performance of "Après un Rêve":
