Tell me child, where will we sleep?
     Under that fir tree, near the Prato.
On which pillow, tell me, will we rest?
     The perfumed bed of grass.
Child how shall we be covered?
     With the dark mantle of the night.
And what will awake us to the new day?
     The mountain peaks with a happy song.
Then in what pure source shall we wash?
     For you the dew, and for me, tears.    

La Serenata

The white moon observes us, hidden by a fine veil.
Come into the dark forest, come, the sky smiles on us.
Come, there within that dark shadow, come, be silent;
Ah! be reassured that no one but Love will know.

Où voulez-vous aller?

Tell me, young beauty,
Where do you want to go?
The sail opens its wing,
The breeze is going to blow.
The oar is made of ivory,
The flag  of silk,
The rudder of delicate gold.
I have an orange for ballast,
The wing of an  angel for a sail,
A seraphim for a cabin boy.
Is it in the Baltic,
On the Pacific Ocean,
In the island of Java,
Or in Norway
To gather the snow flower
Or the flower of Japan?
Take me, says the beauty,
To the shore of faithfulness
Where one loves forever;
This shore, my dear,
One scarcely knows it
In the land of love.

A Part of my heart
Has just flown far away.
And since its departure
Nothing can console me.
That which put joy
into my soul and in my eyes
Left me in sadness
By leaving this place.
As long as loving souls
Do not come to reopen my heart.
The springs will be dry
Where I drew out my happiness.
I shall blossom when the hour
Of union sounds
Until then I wait and cry
Beneath my abandoned roof.

Do you know the land where, on the immense plain,
The fruit of the orange trees shines
like gold, where beneath the blessed skies,
a loving breeze gathers and carries far away the scent of the orchard?
It is there, my beloved, where my dream takes me.  Ah!  It is there! 
How I would like to go there with you. 
Do you know the white house resting in the groves of myrtle
which the butterflies love,
And the luminous fields where the
cool dew scatters its diamonds in the grass of the fields?
This land where the most radiant
day is dawning.  Do you know it?  Tell me:  Do you know it?

He:  Are you awake darling?  I come to you in the rain and desire to see you.
She:  Whatever the weather, I know the tricks of young lads.  Go back home!
He:  Let me in only this night, it’s love which gives delight.  See the weathervane blow and the stars fade.  Don’t let me stand in the rain, open your little room to me!
She:  It’s  not the storm that is menacing.  Don’t bother a young and fresh maiden!
He:  If you refuse me, my impatience will kill me!  You will cause my early death!
She:  No, I won’t let you in!  But, even the bird that flies can be caught by the bird catcher.
 Don’t believe what you hear.

All, my heart, have gone to their rest, all are sleeping, all but you.
For hopeless grief chases slumber from your bed,
And your fancy wanders in silent sorrow to its love.

Tanzlied

Look how the wreath is flapping!  Dearest, come dancing with me.
Let’s sway, and leap nimbly, amid the marvelous splendor.
Dearest, come dancing with me!
O dear, how my heart is beating.  Say what sort of fun is this?
Let me embrace you; let me melt away at ease in blissful pain.
Say, what sort of fun is this?
Look, the waltz resounds, couple sways to couple, girls and boys,
Rascals and sweethearts.  Quick to where the hopping is thickest.
O dear my arms are failing amid the jubilant throng.
When they clutch you I feel like fainting and want to die of grief
Amid the jubilant throng.
Look how the wreath is flapping in the dance today for everyone.
Flighty today, restrained tomorrow, sweetheart, all yours!