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How cruel are the parents
Who riches only prize,
And to the wealthy booby
Poor woman sacrifice !
Meanwhile the hapless daughter
Has but a choice of strife :
To shun a tyrant father's hate,
Become a wretched wife !
The rav'ning hawk pursuing,
The trembling dove thus flies :
To shun [impending]1 ruin
A while her pinions tries;
'Till of escape despairing,
No shelter or retreat,
She trusts the ruthless falconer,
And drops beneath his feet.
About the headline (FAQ)
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1 Beethoven: "impelling" (?)
Text 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 or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
This text was added to the website: 2006-01-11
Line count: 16
Word count: 74
Comme les parents sont cruels,
Qui estiment seulement les richesses,
Et pour l'opulent nigaud
Le sacrifice des pauvres femmes !
Pendant ce temps leur fille malchanceuse
N'a d'autre choix que de lutter
Pour éviter la haine d'un père tyrannique,
Ou devenir une épouse misérable.
Le faucon rapace poursuit
La colombe tremblante qui vole ainsi :
Pour éviter une ruine imminente,
Elle essaye un instant ses ailes ;
Au désespoir de pouvoir s'échapper,
De trouver abri ou retraite,
Elle fait enfin confiance au cruel fauconnier
Et tombe sous son pied.
Text Authorship:
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2014-07-13
Line count: 16
Word count: 86
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