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Léandre le sot, Pierrot qui d'un saut De puce Franchit le buisson, Cassandre sous son Capuce, Arlequin aussi, Cet aigrefin si Fantasque Aux costumes fous, Ses yeux luisants sous Son masque, — Do, mi, sol, mi, fa, — Tout ce monde va, Rit, chante Et danse devant Une belle enfant Méchante Dont les yeux pervers Comme les yeux verts Des chattes Gardent ses appas Et disent: « À bas Les pattes ! » — Eux ils vont toujours ! — Fatidique cours Des astres, Oh ! dis-moi vers quels Mornes ou cruels Désastres L'implacable enfant, Preste et relevant Ses jupes, La rose au chapeau, Conduit son troupeau De dupes ?
Confirmed with Paul Verlaine, Fêtes galantes, Paris: Alphonse Lemerre, 1869, pages 43-45.
Note: The ampersand (&) as appears in the first publication is changed to "et".
Text Authorship:
- by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), "Colombine", appears in Fêtes galantes, no. 19, Paris, Éditions Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1869 [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 Lubor Bárta (b. 1928), "Colombine", published 1963 [ men's chorus a cappella ], from Trois chœurs pour hommes a cappella, no. 3, Prague, Fonds musical tchèque [sung text not yet checked]
- by Roger Boutry (b. 1932), "Colombine", 1956, published 1972 [ high voice, piano, and violin ], from Chansons du Sol, no. 3, Paris, Éd. Salabert [sung text not yet checked]
- by Georges Brassens (1921 - 1981), "Colombine", published 1957 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Ventura [sung text not yet checked]
- by Camille Erlanger (1863 - 1919), "Colombine", published [1910] [ medium voice and piano ], from Dix poèmes et chansons pour une voix avec accompagnement de piano, no. 4, Paris, Éd. J. Hamelle & Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Georges (Jerzy) Nawrocki , "Colombine", 1971/1972 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Fernand Ochsé (1879 - 1944), "Colombine", 1908, published 1913 [ voice and piano ], from Le Parc, no. 13, Berlin, Fürstner [sung text not yet checked]
- by Max d'Ollone (1875 - 1959), "Colombine", published 1925 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Heugel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Irena Regina Poldowski (1880 - 1932), "Colombine", 1911, published 1913 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Rœder [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Henriette Puig-Roget (1910 - 1992), "Colombine", 1928 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Pierre Thilloy (b. 1970), "Colombine", 1996, published 1997 [ baritone and piano ], from Verlainexquises, no. 1, Éd. du compositeur [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Peter Low) , "Colombine", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 36
Word count: 106
Léandre the blockhead,
Pierrot, who with a flea-like
leap
jumps over the bush,
Cassandre under her
hood,
and Arlequin too,
that fantastical
swindler
known for crazy costumes,
and shining eyes under
his mask,
(Doh, mi, soh, mi, fah)
are all walking,
laughing, singing
and dancing in front of
Colombine, a beautiful
wicked girl
whose perverse eyes
like the green eyes
of she-cats
protect her charms
by saying: "Keep
your paws off!"
(Those folk never stop moving!)
Oh fateful course
of the stars,
answer me, towards what
bleak or cruel
disasters
is the implacable girl,
with nimble gestures, and lifting
of skirts,
and a rose on her hat,
leading her flock
of dupes?
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2022 by Peter Low, (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 Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), "Colombine", appears in Fêtes galantes, no. 19, Paris, Éditions Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1869
This text was added to the website: 2022-04-22
Line count: 36
Word count: 112