Bon jour, et puis, quelles nouvelles?

Bon jour, et puis, quelles nouvelles?
N'en sçauroit on de vous avoir?
S'en brief ne m'en faictes sçavoir,
J'en feray de toutes nouvelles.

Puis que vous estes si rebelles,
Bon vespre, bonn nuict, bon soir,
     Bon jour!

Mais si vous cueillez des groyselles,
Envoyez m'en; car, pour tout voir,
Je suis gros: mais c'est de vous veoir
Quelcque matin, mes damoyselles;
     Bon jour!

Translation(s): ENG

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Authorship

• by Clément Marot (1496 - 1544) [ author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

• by George Enescu (1881 - 1955), "Aux damoyselles paresseuses d'escrire a leurs amys", from Sept Chansons de Clément Marot, no. 3. [
   text verified 1 time
  ]
• by Roland de Lassus (1532 - 1594), "Bon jour et puis quelles nouvelles?" [
   text verified 1 time
  ]

Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):

• ENG English (Peter Low) , title 1: "To the Damsels that are too Lazy to Write to their Suitors", copyright © 2001, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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To the Damsels that are too Lazy to Write to their Suitors

 Good day! And may I add, What's new? 
 Is there no way of hearing from you? 
 If you don't inform me soon
 I'll make up news of you all. 
 
 Since you are so recalcitrant,
 I bid you good afternoon, good night,
 good day! 
 
 But if you're picking berries,
 do send me some, because I'm desperate
 to see things - and "berry keen" to see
 you, my ladies, some morning soon. 
 Good day!

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Authorship

• Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2001 by Peter Low, (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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• a text in French (Français) by Clément Marot (1496 - 1544)
• This text was set to music by the following composer(s): George Enescu, Roland de Lassus. Go to the text.

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.