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Dans [ses]1 langes blancs, fraîchement cousus, La Vierge berçait son Enfant-Jésus. Lui, gazouillait comme un nid de mésanges. Elle le [berçait, et chantait]2 tout bas Ce que nous chantons à nos petits anges... Mais l'Enfant-Jésus ne s'endormait pas. Étonné, ravi de ce qu'il entend, Il rit dans sa crèche, et s'en va chantant Comme un saint lévite et comme un choriste ; Il bat la mesure avec ses deux bras, et la sainte Vierge est triste, bien triste, De voir son Jésus qui ne s'endort pas. » Doux Jésus, lui dit la mère en tremblant, » Dormez, mon agneau, mon bel agneau blanc. » Dormez; il est tard, la lampe est éteinte. » Votre front est rouge et vos membres las ; » Dormez, mon amour, et dormez sans crainte. « Mais l'Enfant-Jésus ne s'endormait pas. » Il fait froid, le vent souffle, point de feu... » Dormez, c'est la nuit, la nuit du bon Dieu. » C'est la nuit d'amour des chastes épouses ; » Vite, ami, cachons ces yeux sous nos draps, » Les étoiles d'or en seraient jalouses. « Mais l'Enfant-Jésus ne s'endormait pas. » Si quelques instants vous vous endormiez, » Les songes viendraient, en vol de ramiers, » Et feraient leurs nids sur vos deux paupières, » Ils viendront; dormez, doux Jésus. « -- Hélas ! Inutiles chants et vaines prières Le petit Jésus ne s'endormait pas. Et Marie alors, le regard voilé, Pencha sur son fils un front désolé, » Vous ne dormez pas, votre mère pleure, » Votre mère pleure, ô mon bel ami... « Des larmes coulaient de ses yeux ; sur l'heure, Le petit Jésus s'était endormi.
C. Franck sets stanzas 1, 3, 6
1 Perillier: "les"; further changes may exist not shown above.
2 Franck: "berçait en chantant"
Authorship:
- by Alphonse Daudet (1840 - 1897), "La Vierge à la crèche", written 1858, appears in Les amoureuses, poèmes et fantaisies, no. 3, Nouvelle édition, Paris, G. Charpentier, first published 1876 [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 Alexis Contant (1858 - 1918), "La Vierge à la crèche", published c1900 [ high voice, piano, harp ad libitum ], Montréal, Éd. J.G. Yon [sung text not yet checked]
- by Édouard Couriot (d. 1959), "La Vierge à la Crèche" [ voice and piano ], Éd. L. Grus [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eva Dell'Acqua (1856 - 1930), "La vierge à la crèche" [ voice and piano ], Ín: Album Musica. No. 22., Pierre Lafitte et Cie, Paris, 1904 [sung text not yet checked]
- by César Franck (1822 - 1890), "La Vierge à la crèche", FWV 89 no. 3, CFF 165 no. 3 (1888), published 1923, stanzas 1,3,6 [ vocal duet (or chorus) and piano ], from 6 Duos pour voix égales, no. 3, Paris, Éd. Enoch [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Jean-Grégoire Pénavaire (1838 - 1906), "La Vierge à la crèche" [ high voice and piano ], from Vingt mélodies, no. 2, Paris, Éd. Choudens [sung text not yet checked]
- by Émile Pessard (1843 - 1917), "La Vierge à la crèche", published 1891 [ voice and piano ], from Vingt mélodies, no. 20, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Leduc [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ferdinand Poise Perillier (1828 - 1892), "La Vierge à la crèche", subtitle: "Noël", published [1872] [ medium voice and piano ], Éd. A. O' Kelly [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Peter Low) , "The Virgin at the Manger", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2008-10-26
Line count: 36
Word count: 275
The Virgin was rocking the Baby Jesus, in his white swaddling-clothes, newly sewn. He was chirping like a nest of newborn chicks. She rocked him and very softly sang the song we sing to our little angels... But the child Jesus did not go to sleep. Astonished, delighted with what he heard, he laughed in his manger, and started singing like a holy Levite and like a choirboy. He beat out the rhythm with his two arms, and the Holy Virgin was sad, very sad, to see her Jesus not going to sleep. "Sweet Jesus," said the mother, trembling, "Sleep, my lamb, my beautiful white lamb. Sleep, it is late, the lamp has gone out. Your forehead is red and your limbs are weary. Sleep, my love, and sleep without fear." But the child Jesus did not go to sleep. "It is cold, the wind is blowing, we have no fire... Sleep, it is night-time, the Good Lord's night. It is the night of love for chaste wives; quickly, friend, let us hide our eyes under our sheets, the golden stars will be jealous." But the child Jesus did not go to sleep. "If for a few instants you did fall asleep, dreams would come, in flights of ring-doves and make their nests under your eyelids, they will come. Sleep, sweet Jesus." ...Alas! Her songs were useless, her prayers vain. Little Jesus did not go to sleep. And Mary then, her gaze veiled, leant her sorrowful forehead over her son: "You do not sleep, your mother weeps, she weeps, oh my beautiful friend..." Tears flowed from her eyes; and in no time little Jesus had fallen asleep.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2023 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 Alphonse Daudet (1840 - 1897), "La Vierge à la crèche", written 1858, appears in Les amoureuses, poèmes et fantaisies, no. 3, Nouvelle édition, Paris, G. Charpentier, first published 1876
This text was added to the website: 2023-05-10
Line count: 36
Word count: 277