Dedicated to Edouard de Reské. Text by Élie Chabrol. It was written for a bass or baritone voice in a minor, which is relatively uncommon among Chaminade’s mélodies and contributes to its darker sonority. This piece is subtitled “Ballade aryenne” (“Aryan Ballad”), reflecting the late nineteenth-century European fascination with Indian subjects. The title refers to Ravana, the powerful demon-king of the Hindu epic Ramayana. Chaminade was drawing on the era’s taste for literary and musical exoticism rather than attempting any authentic representation of Indian music.
This piece is in ABAB and characterizes the work as a dramatic narrative rather than a purely lyrical song.