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Dites, que faut-il faire Pour rendre un coeur constant? Que de moyens de plaire! Rien ne varie autant! Comment s’y prendre et que dire? Faut-il risquer un malin sourire? Faut-il se taire et baisser les yeux? Pour obtenir qu’on l’aime, Chacune a son système, N’aimer pas voilà le mieux. Dites, que faut-il faire Pour rendre un coeur constant? Que de moyens de plaire! Rien ne varie autant! Point de mystère. Ce qu’il faut faire Pour séduire et plaire, ce qu’il faut faire pour charmer, C’est de ne pas aimer. Le seul moyen de plaire, C’est de ne pas aimer, Oui, lorsqu’on veut plaire, Il ne faut pas aimer. Par un malin sonrire, Par un doux regard on peut séduire; Mais pour plaire et pour charmer, oui gardezvous d’aimer, gardezvous d’aimer.
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation by Louis Pomey (1835 - 1901) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Italian (Italiano) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , as Folk songs
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Pauline Viardot-García (1821 - 1910), "Dites, que faut-il faire ?", VWV 4007, published 1886 [ voice and piano ], from Airs italiens du XVIII.e siècle, no. 5, Paris, Éd. 'Au Ménestrel' Heugel et Cie., also set in Italian (Italiano) [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Garrett Medlock) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2020-06-30
Line count: 27
Word count: 130
Tell [me], what should one do To make a heart constant, So many ways to delight! Nothing varies as much! How to go about it and what to say? Should one risk a shrewd smile? Should one keep silent and lower [their] eyes? To obtain the one whom one loves, Each person to their system, Do not love at all - see, [this is] best Tell [me], what should one do To make a heart constant, So many ways to delight! Nothing varies as much! [It is] no mystery. What one must do To seduce and delight, What one must do to charm Is to not love. The only way to delight Is to not love, Yes, when one wishes to delight They must not love. With a shrewd smile, With a sweet glance one can seduce; But to delight and to charm, yes, guard yourself [against] loving, guard yourself [against] loving.
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Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2020 by Garrett Medlock, (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 Louis Pomey (1835 - 1901)
Based on:
- a text in Italian (Italiano) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , as Folk songs
This text was added to the website: 2020-06-30
Line count: 27
Word count: 151