Dreaming philosophers who think they know all

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by Nicolas Boileau Despreaux (1636 - 1711)

Translation © by Dr Melissa Givens

Philosophes rêveurs, qui pensez tout...

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Philosophes rêveurs, qui pensez tout savoir,
Ennemis de Bacchus, rentrez dans le devoir :
        Vos esprits s'en font trop accroire.
    Allez, vieux fous, allez apprendre à boire.
        On est savant quand on boit bien :
        Qui ne sait boire ne sait rien.

S'il faut rire ou chanter au milieu d'un festin,
Un docteur est alors au bout de son latin ;
        Un goinfre en a toute la gloire.
    Allez, vieux fous, etc.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Poésies Diverses, in Œuvres de Boileau, Vol. 2 (Collection des Classiques François), Paris: Chez Le Fèvre, 1824, p. 330, titled "Chanson à boir"; also confirmed with Œuvres poétiques de Boileau, Paris, Publication de l'Imprimerie Gènerale, 1872, Volume 2, page 171, titled "Chanson à boire que je fis au sortir de mon Cours de Philosophie à l'âge de dix-sept ans".

Text Authorship:

by Nicolas Boileau Despreaux (1636 - 1711), title 1: "Chanson à boire", title 2: "Chanson à boire que je fis au sortir de mon Cours de Philosophie à l'âge de dix-sept ans", written 1653 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Charles Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921), "Chanson à boire du vieux temps", 1885, published 1885 [ voice and piano ], Éd. Durand [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Dr Melissa Givens) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Ted Perry

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 10
Word count: 69

Dreaming philosophers who think they...

Language: English after the French (Français)

Dreaming philosophers who think they know all,
Enemies of Bacchus, return to your work:
	You believe too much in your own knowledge.
Come on, old fools, and learn how to drink!
	The one who drinks well is wise:
	The who doesn’t drink, knows nothing!

If laughter and song make a feast,
A doctor is far out of his ken,
	A glutton will take all the glory!
Come on, old fools, etc.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2021 by Dr Melissa Givens, (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 Nicolas Boileau Despreaux (1636 - 1711), title 1: "Chanson à boire", title 2: "Chanson à boire que je fis au sortir de mon Cours de Philosophie à l'âge de dix-sept ans", written 1653
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2021-05-26
Line count: 10
Word count: 71