Plaisir d’Amour (Pleasure of Love)
"Plaisir d'Amour" (Pleasure of love) is a very short classical French love song about the pain of unrequited love, with the transitory pleasure and lifetime grief that it brings. Jean-Paul-Égide Martini (born Johann Martin in Bavaria), a court musician in Paris, wrote the music in 1784 and adopted the lyrics from a poem by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian (1755-1794). Martini died in 1816 on Valentine’s Day.
The poem appeared in Florian’s 1784 Célestine (Nouvelle Espagnol) and was part of a book “Les Six Nouvelles de M. Florian.” The song was first called “Romance du Chevrier” (“The Goatherd’s Romance”) but was appropriately re-titled later. In 1859 Hector Berlioz made an orchestral arrangement. Elvis Presley adopted the melody for his 1961 song “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and other covers are by Joan Baez and Andrea Bocelli. Nana Mouskouri’s version from 1971 is one of the most widely appreciated.
There are two main stanzas of 4 lines each, separated by the famous 2-line refrain “Plaisir d’amour ne dure qu’un moment….Chagrin d’amour dure toute la vie.” The tone shifts audibly with the second stanza recounting the words of the faithless Sylvie. The poem follows ABBA rhyming. The melody is slow and lugubrious, with clearly articulated lyrics and modulated tones.
In a slight departure from the original poem, the lyrics in Mouskouri’s song below narrate words by a woman to her former lover who left her for lovely Sylvie. The original text from 1784, however, narrates words by a man (presumably the goatherd) who left everything for Sylvie, who had professed undying love but dumped him instead.
In a slight departure from the original poem, the lyrics in Mouskouri’s song below narrate words by a woman to her former lover who left her for lovely Sylvie. The original text from 1784, however, narrates words by a man (presumably the goatherd) who left everything for Sylvie, who had professed undying love but dumped him instead.
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Plaisir d’amour ne dure qu’un moment Chagrin d’amour dure toute la vie Tu m’as quitté pour la belle Sylvie Elle te quitte pour un autre amant Plaisir d’amour ne dure qu’un moment Chagrin d’amour dure toute la vie Tant que cette eau coulera doucement Vers ce ruisseau qui borde la prairie "Je t’aimerai," te répétait Sylvie L’eau coule encore, elle a changé pourtant Plaisir d’amour ne dure qu’un moment Chagrin d’amour dure toute la vie |
Pleasure of love lasts only a moment Pain of love lasts a lifetime You left me for the lovely Sylvie She is leaving you for another love Pleasure of love lasts only a moment Pain of love lasts a lifetime As long as this water will flow softly Towards the brook that borders the meadow “I will love you,” Sylvie repeatedly told you. The water flows still, she changed however. Pleasure of love lasts only a moment Pain of love lasts a lifetime |
NB:
- “Chagrin d’amour” is commonly translated as “heartache” but I choose “pain of love” to stick more closely to the literal translation and because it echoes the construction of “Plaisir d’amour.” Similarly, “Plaisir d’amour” often appears as “joy” of love but I choose “pleasure.”
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