Fables of La Fontaine

Translations © by Grant Hicks

Song Cycle by Tiarko Richepin (1884 - 1973)

View original-language texts alone: Fables de La Fontaine

1. La Cigale et la fourmi  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: French (Français) 
La cigale, ayant chanté
Tout l'été,
Se trouva fort dépourvue
Quand la bise fut venue.
Pas un seul petit morceau
De mouche ou de vermisseau.
Elle alla crier famine
Chez la Fourmi sa voisine,
La priant de lui prêter
Quelque grain pour subsister
Jusqu'à la saison nouvelle.
«Je vous paierai, lui dit-elle,
Avant l'août, foi d'animal,
Intérêt et principal.»
La Fourmi n'est pas prêteuse;
C'est là son moindre défaut.
«Que faisiez-vous au temps chaud?
Dit-elle à cette emprunteuse.
-- Nuit et jour à tout venant
Je chantais, ne vous déplaise.
-- Vous chantiez? j'en suis fort aise.
Et bien! dansez maintenant.»

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See also La cigale vengée.


by Jean de La Fontaine (1621 - 1695)
1.
Language: English 
The cicada, having sung
All summer long,
Found herself entirely destitute 
When the north wind came:
Not a single tiny morsel
Of fly or of worm.
She went to cry famine
At the ant's house next door,
Imploring her to lend her
Some speck to tide her over
Until the next spring.
"I'll pay you," she said,
"Before August, animal's honor,
Interest and principal."
The ant was not one to lend,
That was the least of her faults.
"What did you do in the warm weather?"
Said she to that borrower.
"Night and day to all and sundry
I sang, if you don't mind."
"You sang? I'm so delighted.
Well then! Now you can dance."

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2025 by Grant Hicks, (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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Translations of titles:
"La Cigale" = "The Cicada"
"La cigale et la fourmi" = "The Cicada and the Ant"



This text was added to the website: 2025-09-07
Line count: 22
Word count: 115

Translation © by Grant Hicks
2. Le Coq et la perle  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: French (Français) 
Un jour un coq détourna
Une perle, qu'il donna
Au beau premier lapidaire.
Je la crois fine, dit-il ;
Mais le moindre grain de mil
Serait bien mieux mon affaire.

Un ignorant hérita
D'un manuscrit qu'il porta
Chez son voisin le libraire.
Je crois, dit-il, qu'il est bon ;
Mais le moindre ducaton
Serait bien mieux mon affaire.

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by Jean de La Fontaine (1621 - 1695)
2. The Cock and the Pearl
Language: English 
One day a cock turned up
A pearl, which he at once gave
To the nearest fine gem-cutter.
"I think it's exquisite," he said,
"But the smallest grain of millet
Would suit my needs much better."

An unschooled heir received 
A manuscript that he took
To his neighbor the bookseller.
"I think it's very nice," he said,
"But the smallest silver ducat
Would suit my needs much better."

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2025 by Grant Hicks, (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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This text was added to the website: 2025-09-08
Line count: 12
Word count: 68

Translation © by Grant Hicks
3. Le Corbeau et le renard  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: French (Français) 
Maître Corbeau, sur un arbre perché, 
Tenait en son bec un fromage.
Maître Renard, par l'odeur alléché, 
Lui tint à peu près ce langage:
Hé!  Bonjour, Monsieur du Corbeau.
Que vous êtes joli! Que vous me semblez beau!
Sans mentir, si votre ramage
Se rapporte à votre plumage,
Vous êtes le phénix des hôtes de ces bois.
A ces mots le corbeau ne se sent pas de joie;
Et, pour montrer sa belle voix, 
Il ouvre un large bec, laisse tombe sa proie.
Le renard s'en saisit, et dit: Mon bon monsieur,
Apprenez que tout flatteur
Vit aux dépens de celui qui l'écoute:
Cette leçon vaut bien un fromage, sans doute.
Le corbeau, honteux et confus,
Jura, mais un peu tard, qu'on ne l'y prendrait plus.

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See also Le renard et le corbeau.


by Jean de La Fontaine (1621 - 1695)
3.
Language: English 
Master Raven, perched in a tree,
Held a cheese in his beak.
Master Fox, drawn by the aroma,
Spoke to him more or less these words:
"Hey, good day, Mister Raven,
How attractive you are! How handsome you seem to me!
To speak truly, if your song
Is a match for your plumage, 
You are the phoenix of the hosts of this wood."
At these words the raven was beside himself with joy;
And, to show off his beautiful voice,
He opened his beak wide, dropping his prey.
The fox seized it, and said, "My good sir,
Learn that every flatterer
Lives at the expense of those who listen to him:
This lesson is doubtless well worth a cheese."
The raven, ashamed and embarrassed,
Swore, but a little late, that he wouldn't be taken in again.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2025 by Grant Hicks, (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: 

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Translations of titles:
"Le corbeau et le renard" = "The Raven and the Fox"
"Le Renard et le Corbeau" = "The Fox and the Raven"

Note for line 9, "phoenix": La Fontaine uses this word to mean "A person or thing of unsurpassed excellence or beauty; a paragon [American Heritage Dictionary]", a sense that is now rare in English.


This text was added to the website: 2025-09-07
Line count: 18
Word count: 136

Translation © by Grant Hicks
4. Le Rat des villes et le rat des champs  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: French (Français) 
Autrefois le Rat de ville
Invita le Rat des champs,
D'une façon fort civile,
A des reliefs d'Ortolans.

Sur un Tapis de Turquie
Le couvert se trouva mis.
Je laisse à penser la vie
Que firent ces deux amis.

Le régal fut fort honnête,
Rien ne manquait au festin ;
Mais quelqu'un troubla la fête
Pendant qu'ils étaient en train.

A la porte de la salle
Ils entendirent du bruit :
Le Rat de ville détale ;
Son camarade le suit.

Le bruit cesse, on se retire :
Rats en campagne aussitôt ;
Et le citadin de dire :
Achevons tout notre rôt.

- C'est assez, dit le rustique ;
Demain vous viendrez chez moi :
Ce n'est pas que je me pique
De tous vos festins de Roi ;

Mais rien ne vient m'interrompre :
Je mange tout à loisir.
Adieu donc ; fi du plaisir
Que la crainte peut corrompre.

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by Jean de La Fontaine (1621 - 1695)
4. The City Rat and the Country Rat
Language: English 
Once the city rat
Invited the country rat,
In a very polite way,
To eat leftover ortolan.

On a Turkish rug
The table was laid.
I leave to the imagination the life
That these two friends led.

The banquet was quite respectable,
The feast lacked nothing;
But someone disturbed the party
While they were in the midst of it.

At the door of the room 
They heard a noise:
The city rat ran off;
His comrade followed suit.

The noise stopped; its source withdrew;
The rats at once returned to business,
And the city-dweller said,
"Let us finish our roast."

"That's enough," said the rustic,
"Tomorrow you will come dine with me:
It's not that I pride myself
On kingly feasts such as yours;

"But nothing comes to interrupt me:
I eat entirely at my leisure.
So farewell; fie upon the pleasure 
That can be spoiled by fear."

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2025 by Grant Hicks, (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: 

Based on:

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Translations of titles:
"Le Rat des villes et le rat des champs" = "The City Rat and the Country Rat"
"Le rat de ville et le rat des champs" = "The City Rat and the Country Rat"

Note for stanza 1, line 4: the ortolan is a small Eurasian songbird that was considered a delicacy in France, prepared by being drowned - literally - in Armagnac and roasted, and then eaten whole, bones and all. Its popularity led to a decline in its French numbers so severe that hunting it was made illegal in 1999.


This text was added to the website: 2025-09-10
Line count: 28
Word count: 148

Translation © by Grant Hicks