by
Jean Richepin (1849 - 1926)
Le Vieux
Language: French (Français)
Mes braves bons messieurs et dames,
Par Sainte-Marie-Notre-Dame,
Voyez le pauvre vieux stropiat.
Pater noster ! Ave Maria !
Ayez pitié !
Mes braves bons messieurs et dames,
La charité des bonnes âmes !
Un p’tit sou, et Dieu vous l’ rendra.
Pater noster ! Ave Maria !
Ayez pitié !
Mes braves bons messieurs et dames,
Chez ceux qui ne voient pas les larmes,
Quand Dieu le veut, grêle il y a.
Pater noster ! Ave Maria !
Ayez pitié !
Mes braves bons messieurs et dames,
La vache qui vêle, ou la femme,
Si je le dis, son fruit mourra.
Pater noster ! Ave Maria !
Ayez pitié !
Mes braves bons messieurs et dames,
Au jeteu d’ sorts, au preneu d’âmes,
Donnez un p’tit sou, qui qu’en a.
Pater noster ! Ave Maria !
Ayez pitié !
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• C. Cui C. Cui sets stanzas 1-3
Confirmed with Jean Richepin, La Chanson des gueux, Maurice Dreyfous, 1881, pages 12-13.
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 César Antonovich Cui (1835 - 1918), "Le Vieux", op. 44 no. 2, stanzas 1-3 [ voice and piano ], from Vingt Poèmes de Jean Richepin, no. 2, Éd. "Au Menestrel" Henri Heugel [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Marguerite Roesgen-Champion (1894 - 1976), "Le Vieux" [ medium voice and piano ], from La chanson des gueux, no. 1, Édition du compositeur [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "The Old Beggar", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 25
Word count: 124
The Old Beggar
Language: English after the French (Français)
My honest, good gentlemen and ladies,
In the name of St. Mary, Our Lady,
Observe a poor old disabled man.
Pater noster! Ave Maria!
Do you have any pity?
My honest, good gentlemen and ladies,
[I ask for] charity from such good souls!
[Give me] one little coin, and God will return it to you.
Pater noster! Ave Maria!
Have pity!
My honest, good gentlemen and ladies,
All those who aren’t used to seeing tears,
As God wills, here’s a deluge [of tears].
Pater noster! Ave Maria!
Have pity!
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Translator's note for line four of every stanza: these are Latin titles of Catholic prayers: “Our father” and “Hail Mary” .
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2023 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:
This text was added to the website: 2023-10-17
Line count: 25
Word count: 91
