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Préservez-nous du feu et du tonnerre, Le tonnerre court comme un oiseau, Si c'est le Seigneur qui le conduit Bénis soient les dégats. Si c'est le diable qui le conduit Faites-le partir au trot d'ici. Préservez-nous des dartres et des boutons, de la peste et de la lèpre. Si c'est pour ma pénitence que vous l'envoyez, Seigneur, laissez-la moi, merci. Si c'est le diable qui le conduit Faites-le partir au trot d'ici. Goître, goître, sors de ton sac, sors de mon cou et da ma tête! Feu Saint Elme, danse de Saint Guy, Si c'est le Diable qui vous conduit mon Dieu faites le sortir d'ici. Faites que je grandisse vite Et donnez-moi un bon mari qui ne soit pas trop ivrogne et qui ne me batte pas tous les soirs.
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), "La petite servante", 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 Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963), "La petite servante", FP 59 no. 3 (1931), published 1932 [ soprano and piano ], from Cinq Poèmes de Max Jacob, no. 3, Éd. Rouart, Lerolle [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La petita serventa", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Faith J. Cormier) , "The little maidservant", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Die kleine Dienstmagd", 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: 21
Word count: 131
Preserve us from fire and lightning. Lightning runs like a bird. If the Lord drives it, blessed be the damage. If the Devil drives it, drive him out of here at a trot. Preserve us from sores and pimples, plague and leprosy. If you have sent them to me for a penance, Lord, leave them with me, thank you. If the Devil drives it, drive him out of here at a trot. Goiter, goiter, jump out of your bag, leave my neck and my head! St. Elmo's fire, St. Vitus' dance, if it's the Devil who drives you, God, drive him away from here. Make me grow up fast and give me a good husband who isn't too much of a drunkard and doesn't beat me every night.
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), "La petite servante", 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: 21
Word count: 128