"L'amour de Piroutcha" (Messiaen, Harawi No. 5)
Michelle Mariposa, mezzo-soprano
Chuck Foster, piano
Recorded live
Galvin Recital Hall
May 14, 2023
L'amour de Piroutcha
No. 5, from Harawi: Chant d'amour et de mort
Olivier Messiaen
(La Jeune Fille)
“Toungou, ahi, toungou,
toungou, berce, toi,
ma cendre des lumières,
berce ta petite en tes bras verts.
Piroutcha, ta petite cendre, pour toi.”
(Le Jeune Homme)
“Ton oeil tous les ciels, doundou tchil.
Coupe-moi la tête doundou tchil.
Nos souffles, nos souffles, bleu et or.
Ahi! Ahi!
Chaînes rouges, noires, mauves, amour, la mort.”
(The Young Girl)
“Toungou, ahi, toungou,
toungou, lull, you,
my ash of lights,
lull your small girl in your green arms.
Piroutcha, your own little ash, for you.”
(The Young Man)
“Your eye, all the heavens, doundou tchil.
Cut my head off, doundou tchil.
Our breaths, our breaths, blue and gold.
Ahi! Ahi!
Chains of red, black, mauve, love, death.”