À Nicolas
Language: French (Français) after the French (Français)
Our translations: ENG GER
Nicolas, faisons bonne chère,
Pendant qu'en avons le loisir,
Trompons le soin et la misère
Ennemis de notre plaisir.
Purgeons l'humeur qui nous enflamme
D'avarice et d'ambition,
Ayons, philosophes, une âme
Franche de toute passion,
Chassons le soin, chassons la peine,
Contentons-nous de n'être rien,
Quand notre âme sera bien saine
Tout le corps se portera bien.
Quand la fièvre, dont la mémoire
Me fait encore frissonner
Ne t'aurait appris qu'à bien boire,
Tu ne la dois abandonner :
Bois ! bois souvent, et bois encore, bois !
À toutes les fois que l'envie
Te prendra de boire, rebois !
Bois souvent, aussi bien la vie
N'est pas si longue que le doigt.
Nicolas ! bois encore, bois encore, bois !
The text shown is a variant of another text. [ View differences ]
It is based on
- a text in French (Français) by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), "À Simon Nicolas, Secretaire du Roy", appears in Les Odes, no. 13, first published 1584
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , "To Nicholas", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Linda Godry) (Heide Wiesner) , "Für Nicolas", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Vinzenz Haab
This text was added to the website: 2012-08-12
Line count: 22
Word count: 115
To Nicholas
Language: English after the French (Français)
Nicolas, let's make good cheer
While we still have the time ;
Outwit care and misery,
The enemies of our pleasure.
Sweep away the ill-humour which inflames us
With avarice and ambition;
Have, like philosophers, a soul
Free of all passion.
Chase away care, chase away troubles,
Content ourselves with being nothing,
When our soul is pure
The whole body will be well.
Since the fever (the memory of which
Still makes me shiver)
Would have taught you only to drink well,
You should not give it up.
Drink! Drink often, drink again, drink!
On every occasion when the desire
To drink takes you, drink again!
Drink often, and then life
Is no longer than a finger.
Nicolas! Drink again, drink again, drink!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2014 by David Wyatt, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), "À Simon Nicolas, Secretaire du Roy", appears in Les Odes, no. 13, first published 1584
This text was added to the website: 2014-01-14
Line count: 22
Word count: 122
