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Demandes-tu, douce ennemie, Quelle est pour toy ma pauvre vie ? Helas certainement elle est Telle qu’ordonner te la plaist. Pauvre, chetive, et langoureuse, Dolente, triste, malheureuse, [Et tout le plus fascheux esmoy D’amour fascheux loge chez moy.]1 Apres demandes-tu, [ma mie]2, Quels compagnie a ma vie ? Certes accompagnée elle est De tels compaignons qu’il te plaist. Ennuy, travail, peine, tristesse, Larmes, souspirs, sanglots, destresse, [Et tout le plus fascheux soucy D’amour fascheux y loge aussy.]3 Voyla comment [par toy, Marie]4, Je traine ma chetive vie, Heureux du mal que je reçoy Pour t’aimer cent fois plus que moy.
1 Bertrand: "Et si amour a quelque esmoy/ Plus facheux, il loge chez moy."
2 Bertrand: "m’amie"
3 Bertrand: "Et s’amour a quelque soucy/ Plus facheux, il est mien aussi."
4 Bertrand: "pour toy, ma vie"
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):
- by Anthoine de Bertrand (1540? - 1581?), "Demandes-tu, douce ennemie", published 1578 [ vocal quartet a cappella ], from 25 Chansons à 4 parties, Livre 3, no. 17 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Nicholas La Grotte , "Demandes-tu, douce ennemie" [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Philippe de Monte (1521 - 1603), "Demandes-tu, douce ennemie" [sung text checked 1 time]
Set in a modified version by Jean Langlais, Emanuel Moór.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: David Wyatt
This text was added to the website: 2014-10-27
Line count: 20
Word count: 104
Do you ask, sweet enemy, What sort of wretched life I lead for you? Alas it is certainly the kind That it would please you to arrange. Poor, wretched, languid, Plaintive, sad, unhappy, [And all the most tiresome troubles Of tiresome love live in me.]1 Next do you ask, [my sweet], What companions my life has?2 Truly it is accompanied By the kind of companions which would please you. Anxiety, struggle, pain, sadness, Tears, sighs, sobs, distress, [And all the most tiresome cares Of tiresome love live there too.]3 That is how [because of you, Marie]4, I lead my wretched life, Happy in the ills I receive For loving you a hundred times more than myself.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotes1 Bertrand: "And if there’s any more tiresome trouble/ Which love brings, it lives in me."
2 Bertrand: "my love"
3 Bertrand: "And if there’s any more tiresome worry/ Which love brings, it is mine too."
4 Bertrand: "for you, my love"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2014 by David Wyatt, (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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Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)
This text was added to the website: 2014-10-27
Line count: 20
Word count: 121