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by Jean de La Fontaine (1621 - 1695)
Translation © by Grant Hicks
Autrefois le Rat de ville
Language: French (Français)
Autrefois le Rat de ville Invita le Rat des champs, D'une façon fort civile, A des reliefs d'Ortolans. Sur un Tapis de Turquie Le couvert se trouva mis. Je laisse à penser la vie Que firent ces deux amis. Le régal fut fort honnête, Rien ne manquait au festin ; Mais quelqu'un troubla la fête Pendant qu'ils étaient en train. A la porte de la salle Ils entendirent du bruit : Le Rat de ville détale ; Son camarade le suit. Le bruit cesse, on se retire : Rats en campagne aussitôt ; Et le citadin de dire : Achevons tout notre rôt. - C'est assez, dit le rustique ; Demain vous viendrez chez moi : Ce n'est pas que je me pique De tous vos festins de Roi ; Mais rien ne vient m'interrompre : Je mange tout à loisir. Adieu donc ; fi du plaisir Que la crainte peut corrompre.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Jean de La Fontaine (1621 - 1695), "Le rat de ville et le rat des champs", written 1668, appears in Fables [author's text checked 1 time 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 Isabelle Aboulker (b. 1938), "Le Rat de ville et le Rat des champs", 2002?, published 2002 [ high voice and piano ], from La Cigale et le Pot au Lait, 16 mélodies pour voix moyennes d'après les Fables de Jean de La Fontaine, no. 9, Éditions Notissimo [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Bonneau (1918 - 1995), "Le rat des villes et le rat des champs", published 1953 [ medium voice and piano ], from Fables de La Fontaine II, no. 2, Éd. Lido Mélodies [sung text not yet checked]
- by Melchior Alexandre Bruneau (1823 - 1898), "Le rat de ville et le rat des champs", op. 377 no. 7 (1879) [ medium voice and piano or harmonium ], from 25 fables de La Fontaine, no. 7 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur Coquard (1846 - 1910), "Le Rat de ville et le rat des champs", op. 66 no. 5, published [1904] [ vocal duet or chorus and piano ], from Six Chœurs à deux voix pour enfants, no. 5, Paris, Éd. Costallat & Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Benjamin Louis Paul Godard (1849 - 1895), "Le rat de ville et le rat des champs", op. 17 no. 6 (1872-1879) [ medium voice and piano ], from Six Fables de La Fontaine, no. 6, Paris, Éd. G. Hartmann; confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Albert Graud , "Le Rat de ville et le rat des champs", subtitle: "Fable", <<1908 [ medium voice and piano ], Paris, Éd. 'Au Métronome' Mme Émile Benoit, Sulzbach, successeur [sung text not yet checked]
- by Philippe Mazé (b. 1954), "Le Rat de ville et le rat des champs", 2009, published 2016 [ medium voice and piano ], from 9 Fables de Jean de La Fontaine pour une voix et piano, no. 2, Clichy, Éd. Musicales Artchipel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jacques Offenbach (1819 - 1880), "Le rat de ville et le rat des champs", 1842, published 1843 [ voice and piano ], from Six Fables de La Fontaine, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Tiarko Richepin (1884 - 1973), "Le Rat des villes et le rat des champs", 1939, published 1939 [ baritone and piano ], from Fables de La Fontaine, no. 4, Éd. Choudens [sung text not yet checked]
- by Giulio Roberti (1829 - 1891), "Le Rat des villes et le rat des champs" [ high voice and piano ], Éd. Lebeau Aîné [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gaston Selz (1869 - 1953), "Le Rat de ville et le rat des champs", copyright © 1925 [ three-part chorus or vocal trio, unaccompanied ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Guido Spinetti (1850 - 1931), "Le rat de ville et le rat des champs", published 1900 [ voice and piano ], from 5 Fables de La Fontaine, no. 3, Paris: A. Quinzard [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Peter Low) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Grant Hicks) , copyright © 2025, (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: 28
Word count: 140
Some time ago the city rat
Language: English after the French (Français)
Some time ago the city rat Invited the country rat, In a very polite way, To eat leftover ortolan. On a Turkish rug The table was laid. I leave to the imagination the life That these two friends led. The banquet was quite respectable, The feast lacked nothing; But someone disturbed the party While they were in the midst of it. At the door of the room They heard a noise: The city rat ran off; His comrade followed suit. The noise stopped; its source withdrew; The rats at once returned to business, And the city-dweller said, "Let us finish our roast." "That's enough," said the rustic, "Tomorrow you will come dine with me: It's not that I pride myself On royal feasting such as yours; "But nothing comes to interrupt me: I eat entirely at my leisure. So farewell; fie upon the pleasure That can be spoiled by fear."
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of titles:
"Le Rat des villes et le rat des champs" = "The City Rat and the Country Rat"
"Le rat de ville et le rat des champs" = "The City Rat and the Country Rat"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2025 by Grant Hicks, (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 Jean de La Fontaine (1621 - 1695), "Le rat de ville et le rat des champs", written 1668, appears in Fables
This text was added to the website: 2025-09-10
Line count: 28
Word count: 150