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J'ai perdu ma poulette Et j'ai perdu mon chat. Je cours à la poudrette Si Dieu me les rendra. Je vais chez Jean le Coz Et chez Marie Maria. Va-t'en voir chez Hérode Peut-être il le saura. Passant devant la salle Toute la ville était là À voir danser ma poule Avec mon petit chat. Tous les oiseaux champêtres Sur les murs et sur les toits Jouaient de la trompette Pour le banquet du roi.
About the headline (FAQ)
First published in the revue Commerce, no. 22, Winter 1929, as the second of a collection of poems titled "Morven Le Gaëlique- Poèmes", and then later in Chants Bretons et inédits signés Morven le Gaélique, Paris, Éd. NRF Gallimard, 1953.
Text Authorship:
- by Max Jacob (1876 - 1944), "Chanson", written 1926?, appears in Chants Bretons et inédits signés Morven le Gaélique, first published 1929 [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 Paul Le Flem (1881 - 1984), "J'ai perdu ma poulette", subtitle: "Chanson", published 1963 [ soli, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, viola and piano ], from Morven le Gaëlique, no. 6, Editions Billaudot [sung text not yet checked]
- by Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963), "Chanson bretonne", FP 59 no. 1 (1931), published 1932 [ soprano and piano ], from Cinq Poèmes de Max Jacob, no. 1, Éd. Rouart, Lerolle [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Faith J. Cormier) , "Breton song", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Bretonisches Lied", copyright © 2015, (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: 16
Word count: 75
I've lost my little hen, and I've lost my cat. I'll run to the trash heap if God gives them back to me. I will go see Jean le Coz and Marie Maria. You go see Herod. Maybe he will know. When I went by the room, the whole town was there to see my hen dancing with my little cat. All the birds of the fields were playing the trumpet on the walls and the rooftops for the king's banquet.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2004 by Faith J. Cormier, (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 Max Jacob (1876 - 1944), "Chanson", written 1926?, appears in Chants Bretons et inédits signés Morven le Gaélique, first published 1929
This text was added to the website: 2004-12-09
Line count: 16
Word count: 81