May‑Day song
Language: English
Available translation(s): FRE
Rainbow showers of sunlight falling
Tint the dew on every spray!
Loud across the valley calling,
Hark the jolly cuckoo's lay!
Children, bringing
Wreaths, are singing
"Come away!"
Meadows now are primrose spangled;
Holly laughs no more at may;
Rills, no more by winter tangled,
Rippling down the coppice play!
Maids are maying,
Boys are straying!
Come away!
Holt and hurst, to spring awaking,
Birds in rapturous roundelay,
Sing you shame for money making,
Losing for the World Today!
Leave your labours,
Careful neighbours!
Come away!
Authorship:
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, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Jean-Pierre Granger) , title 1: "La chanson du premier mai", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Jean-Pierre Granger
This text was added to the website: 2009-11-19
Line count: 21
Word count: 86
La chanson du premier mai
Language: French (Français)  after the English
La clarté du soleil tombe comme une pluie d'arc-en-ciel,
Et colore chaque goutelette de rosée.
Appelant bruyamment à travers la vallée
Écoutez la joyeuse ritournelle du coucou !
Les enfants, apportant
des couronnes, chantent :
» Partons «
Les primeroses illuminent les prés
Le houx ne rit plus en mai ;
Les ruisseaux ne sont plus tordus par l'hiver,
Les bosquets ondoyants s'amusent !
Les filles célèbrent le mois de mai
Les garçons sont volages !
Partons !
Buissons et arbustes s'éveillent au printemps,
Les oiseaux dans des voltiges frénétiques
Chantent à vous faire honte de votre cupidité
En vous damnant pour le monde d'aujourd'hui.
Laissez vos travaux,
Voisins consciencieux !
Partons !
The translator has released this translation into the public domain.
Authorship:
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2010-10-21
Line count: 21
Word count: 113