To the Damsels that are too Lazy to Write to their Suitors | Good day! And may I add, What's new?

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by Clément Marot (1496 - 1544)

Translation © by Peter Low

Bon jour, et puis, quelles nouvelles?

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Bon jour, et puis, quelles nouvelles?
N'en sçauroit-on de vous avoir ?
S'en bref ne m'en faites sçavoir,
J'en ferai 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 veoir,
Je suis gros: mais c'est de vous veoir
Quelque matin mes Damoiselles:
     Bon jour.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Œuvres de Clement Marot ...: Revûes sur plusieurs manuscrits ..., Volume 2, a la Haie, chez P. Gosse & J. Neaulme, 1731, page 183.

Text Authorship:

by Clément Marot (1496 - 1544), "Rondeau LV. Aux Damoyselles paresseuses d'escrire à leurs Amys" [author's text checked 1 time 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 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Roland de Lassus (1532 - 1594), "Bon jour et puis quelles nouvelles?" [sung text checked 1 time]
by Louise-Marie Simon (1903 - 1990), as Claude Arrieu, "Aux damoyselles paresseuses d’escrire à leurs amys", from Trois rondeaux, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

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

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 62

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

Language: English after the French (Français)

 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!

Text 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Clément Marot (1496 - 1544), "Rondeau LV. Aux Damoyselles paresseuses d'escrire à leurs Amys"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 72