Song for the little horse | Little horse, who are so dear to me, let’s go!

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Prosper Estieu (1860 - 1939)

Translation © by Laura Prichard

Chanson pour le petit cheval

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Petit cheval, qui m'es si cher, va promptement ! 
Mon pauvre cœur est dévoré par l'inquiétude :
J'aime une belle qui m'attend sous la chênaie
Si trop je tarde elle entrera dans un couvent !

Petit cheval, jamais lassé, toujours ardent ! 
Tel un éclair, franchis fossés, franchis fondrières !
Mors écumant, mets aux roches des étincelles !
Fais-moi revoir Celle qui pense à moi souvent !

Petit cheval, je te promets bonne provende !
Hâte-toi donc ! hâte-toi donc !
Au fond du val est sa chaumière,
Et je pressens que mon retard la fait mourir !

Petit cheval, n'arrive pas jusqu'à sa porte !
Un glas lointain à mon oreille a retenti
Retournons-nous, pour fuir ce glas !
Ma mie ! ma mie ! ma mie est morte !

Text Authorship:

by Prosper Estieu (1860 - 1939) [author's text not yet checked 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 Marie-Joseph-Alexandre Déodat de Séverac (1872 - 1921), "Chanson pour le petit cheval", 1910-1913, first performed 1919 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Song for the little horse", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Ted Perry , Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 115

Song for the little horse

Language: English after the French (Français)

Little horse, who are so dear to me, let’s go!
My poor heart is consumed by anxiety:
I love a beauty who waits for me under the oak tree.
If I’m too late she’ll enter a convent!

Little horse, never weary, always fiery!
Like lightning, jump ditches, jump potholes!
Foaming at the bit, make sparks fly on the rocks!
Help me again to see Her who often thinks of me!

Little horse, I promise you good provisions!
So make haste! Make haste!
On the floor of the valley lies her cottage,
And I fear any delay will cause her death!

Little horse, don’t bring me all the way to her door!
A bell tolling in the distance reverberates in my ear
Let’s go back, to flee this death-knell!
My darling! my darling! My darling is dead!

Translator's notes:
Line 2-3: "make sparks fly on the rocks" - i.e., from the metal horse-shoes.
Line 3-3: "cottage" - refers to a humble one-room cottage with a thatched roof
Line 4-4: "My darling" - "Ma mie" is 18th-century French for "m’amie", or "mon amie".

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 Prosper Estieu (1860 - 1939)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2016-06-21
Line count: 16
Word count: 136