Ballade of the women of Paris | Whoever we consider to be charming conversationalists

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by François Villon (1431 - 1463)

Translation © by Laura Prichard

Ballade des femmes de Paris

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Quoy qu'on tient belles langagières
Florentines, Veniciennes, 
Assez pour estre messaigières,
Et mesmement les anciennes;
Mais, soient Lombardes, Romaines, 
Genevoises, à mes perils, 
Piemontoises, Savoysiennes,
Il n'est bon bec que de Paris.

De beau parler tiennent chayeres, 
Ce dit-on Napolitaines,
Et que sont bonnes cacquetières
Allemandes et Bruciennes;
Soient Grecques, Egyptiennes,
De Hongrie ou d'aultre païs,
Espaignolles ou Castellannes,
Il n'est bon bec que de Paris.

Brettes, Suysses, n'y sçavent guèrres,
Ne Gasconnes et Tholouzaines;
Du Petit Pont deux harangères les concluront,
Et les Lorraines, 
Anglesches ou Callaisiennes,
(ay-je beaucoup de lieux compris?)
Picardes, de Valenciennes...
Il n'est bon bec que de Paris.

Envoi
Prince, aux dames parisiennes,
De bien parler donnez le prix;
Quoy qu'on die d'Italiennes,
Il n'est bon bec que de Paris.

Modernized form of text:

Quoi qu'on tient belles langagères	
Florentines, Vénitiennes,	
Assez pour être messagères,	
Et mêmement les anciennes;	
Mais, soient Lombardes, Romaines,	
Genevoises, à mes perils,	
Piémontoises, Savoisiennes,	
Il n'est bon bec que de Paris.	

De beau parler tiennent chayères,	
Ce dit-on, Napolitaines,	
Et que sont bonnes caquetières	
Allemandes et Prussiennes;	
Soient Greques, Egyptiennes,	
De Hongrie ou d'autre pays,	
Espagnoles ou Catelannes,	
Il n'est bon bec que de Paris.	

Brettes, Suisses, n'y savent guères,	
Ne Gasconnes et Toulousaines:	
Du Petit Pont deux harengères
Les concluront, et les Lorraines,	
Anglesches ou Calaisiennes,	
(Ai-je beaucoup de lieux compris?)	
Picardes, de Valenciennes;	
Il n'est bon bec que de Paris.	

Prince, aux dames parisiennes	
De bien parler donner le prix;	
Quoi qu'on dit d'Italiennes,	
Il n'est bon bec que de Paris.

Text Authorship:

by François Villon (1431 - 1463), "Ballade des femmes de Paris", appears in Le Testament [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 Claude Achille Debussy (1862 - 1918), "Ballade des femmes de Paris", L. 126/(119) no. 3 (1910), published 1911 [ voice and piano ], from Trois Ballades de François Villon, no. 3, Édition Durand [sung text checked 1 time]
by Wim Franken (b. 1922), "Ballade des femmes de Paris", 1969, published 1969 [ tenor and piano ], from Cinq poèmes de François Villon, no. 3, Amsterdam, Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
by Jacques de Menasce (1905 - 1960), "Ballade des femmes de Paris", published 1962 [ tenor and piano or orchestra ], from Quatre Chansons, no. 3, Paris, Éd. Durand [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Algernon Charles Swinburne) , "Ballad of the women of Paris"
ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Ballade of the women of Paris", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Laura Prichard [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 29
Word count: 125

Ballade of the women of Paris

Language: English after the French (Français)

Whoever we consider to be charming conversationalists
Florentines, Venetians,	
Enough for them to be able to be messengers,	
As were those of old;	
But, be they Lombards, Romans,	
Genevans, I assert at my peril,	
Piedmontese, Savoyards,	
There is none more loquacious than a woman from Paris.	

In fine speaking, they hold chairs. 
That is said of Neapolitans. 
And they are good babblers 
those Germans and Prussians;	
Such is said of Greeks, Egyptians,	
And those from Hungary or other lands,	
Spaniards and Catalans, yet
There is none more loquacious than a woman from Paris.

Bretons, Swiss, they scarcely know anything,	
Neither do Gascons and Toulousianes:	
Even two fishwives at the Petit Pont
Can out-talk them, and those from Lorraine,	
England or Calais,	
(Have I included enough places?)	
Those from Picardy, from Valencia;
There is none more loquacious than a woman from Paris.

Envoi
Prince, to the women of Paris 
Who speak so well, give the prize; 
Whatever we say of the Italians,
There is none more loquacious than a woman from Paris.

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Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2016 by Laura Prichard, (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 François Villon (1431 - 1463), "Ballade des femmes de Paris", appears in Le Testament
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2016-01-04
Line count: 29
Word count: 176