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Finding English Translations of Vocal Music Texts

Guide to sources of English translations of song and aria texts. Many of these provide phonetic readings in addition to poetic and/or word-for-word translations.

Online Resource

Translations by Language

French

Castel, Nico. French Opera Libretti. [IPA included]
Reference: ML 48 .F74 1999

Jeffers, Ron. Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire. Vol III: French and Italian Texts.
Reference: ML 47 .T7211 1988 v.3

Johnson, Graham, and Richard Stokes. A French Song Companion.
Reference: ML 54.6 .F74 J761 2000

LeVan, Timothy. Masters of the French Art Song: Translations of the Complete Songs of Chausson, Debussy, Duparc, Fauré & Ravel.
Reference: ML 54.6 .M331 2001

Coffin, Berton, Werner Singer, and Pierre Delattre. Word-by-Word Translations of Songs and Arias. Part I: German and French.
Reference: ML 54.6 .W92 pt.1

German

Castel, Nico. German Miscellaneous Opera Libretti. [IPA included]
Reference: ML 48 .G473 2005

Fischer-Dieskau, Dietrich. The Fischer-Dieskau Book of Lieder: The Original Texts of Over Seven-Hundred and Fifty Songs.
Reference: ML 54.6 .F53

Phillips, Lois. Lieder Line by Line, and Word for Word.
Reference: ML 54.6 .P55 L51 1996

Miller, Philip Lieson. German Lieder.
Reference: ML 54.6 .G2751 1990

Coffin, Berton, Werner Singer, and Pierre Delattre. Word-by-Word Translations of Songs and Arias. Part I: German and French.
Reference: ML 54.6 .W92 pt.1

Jeffers, Ron. Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire. Vol II: German Texts.
Reference: ML 47 .T7211 1988 v.2

Italian

Castel, Nico. Italian Belcanto Opera Libretti. [IPA included]
Reference: ML 48 .I8821 2000

Castel, Nico. Italian Verismo Opera Libretti. [IPA included]
Reference: ML 48 .I884 2000

Gerhart, Martha. Italian Song Texts from the 17th through the 20th Centuries. [IPA included]
Reference: ML 54.6 .I83 2002 v.1-2

Jeffers, Ron. Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire. Vol III: French and Italian Texts.
Reference: ML 47 .T7211 1988 v.3

LeVan, Timothy. Masters of the Italian Art Song: Word-by-Word and Poetic Translations of the Complete Songs for Voice and Piano.
Reference: ML 54.6 .M341 1990

Richardson, Dorothy, and Tina Ruta. Arie Antiche.
Reference: ML 54.6 .A751 1990

Schoep, Arthur, and Daniel Harris. Word-by-Word Translations of Songs and Arias. Part II: Italian.
Reference: ML 54.6 .W92 pt.2

Russian

Belov, Anton. Libretti of Russian Operas. [IPA included]
Reference: ML 48 .L68 2004

Piatak, Jean, and Regina Avrashov. Russian Songs & Arias: Phonetic Readings, Word-by-Word Translations, and a Concise Guide to Russian Diction. [IPA included]
Reference: MT 883 .P5411 1991

Richter, Laurence R. Selected Nineteenth Century Russian Song Texts: Russian Texts of Songs by Abaza, Aliabiev, Arensky, Balakirev, Borodin, Bulakhov, Cui, Dargomyzhsky, Dubuque, Glinka, Gurilyov, Kharito, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rubinstein, Varlamov, Verstovsky, and Yakovlev. [IPA included]
Reference: ML 54.6 .R52 S45 2005

Spanish

Cockburn, Jacqueline, and Richard Stokes. The Spanish Song Companion.
Reference: ML 54.6 .S76 2006
ML 2547 .C6211 1992

Sobrer, Josep Miquel, and Edmon Colomer. The Singer's Anthology of 20th Century Spanish Songs. [IPA included]
PQ 6187 .S551 1987
(Includes the texts of songs by Granados, Falla, and Mompou.)

Czech

Cheek, Timothy. Singing in Czech: A Guide to Czech Lyric Diction and Vocal Repertoire. [IPA included]
Reference: MT 883 .C441 2001

Latin

Hines, Robert S. Singers' Liturgical Latin: Rules for Pronunciation Plus Standard Texts with IPA Transcriptions and English Translations.
Reference: MT 833 .H551 2003

Jeffers, Ron. Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire. Vol. I: Sacred Latin Texts.
Reference: ML 47 .T7211 1988 v.1

Various Languages

Miller, Philip L. The Ring of Words: An Anthology of Song Texts.
Reference: ML 54.6 .M65
(Includes the texts of selected German, French, Italian, Russian, Scandinavian, and Spanish songs.)

Retzlaff, Jonathan. Exploring Art Song Lyrics. [IPA included]
Reference: ML 54.6 .R48 2012
(Includes Italian, German, and French repertoire)