Le lion et le rat
Language: French (Français)
Il faut, autant qu'on peut, obliger tout le monde :
On a souvent besoin d'un plus petit que soi.
De cette vérité deux Fables feront foi,
Tant la chose en preuves abonde.
Entre les pattes d'un Lion
Un Rat sortit de terre assez à l'étourdie.
Le Roi des animaux, en cette occasion,
Montra ce qu'il était, et lui donna la vie.
Ce bienfait ne fut pas perdu.
Quelqu'un aurait-il jamais cru
Qu'un Lion d'un Rat eût affaire ?
Cependant il advint qu'au sortir des forêts
Ce Lion fut pris dans des rets,
Dont ses rugissements ne le purent défaire.
Sire Rat accourut, et fit tant par ses dents
Qu'une maille rongée emporta tout l'ouvrage.
Patience et longueur de temps
Font plus que force ni que rage.
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 Paul Bonneau (1918 - 1995), "Le lion et le rat", published 1952 [ medium voice and piano ], from Fables de La Fontaine I, no. 5, Éd. Lido Mélodies [sung text not yet checked]
- by Melchior Alexandre Bruneau (1823 - 1898), "Le lion et le rat", op. 377 no. 9 (1879) [ medium voice and piano or harmonium ], from 25 fables de La Fontaine, no. 9 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Étienne Rey (1832 - 1923), "Le Lion et le Rat", published [1876] [ medium voice and piano ], from Six Fables de La Fontaine et de Florian, 2ème recueil, no. 4, Paris, Éd. Léon Escudier [sung text not yet checked]
- by Guido Spinetti (1850 - 1931), "Le lion et le rat", published 1900 [ voice and piano ], from 5 Fables de La Fontaine, no. 4, Paris: A. Quinzard [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Grant Hicks) , "The Lion and the Rat", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2014-09-03
Line count: 18
Word count: 124
The Lion and the Rat
Language: English after the French (Français)
One should, as much as one can, oblige everyone:
One often has need of someone lesser than oneself.
Two fables bear witness to this truth,
So much does the matter abound in proofs.
Between the paws of a lion
A rat emerged from the ground quite in a daze.
The King of Beasts, on this occasion,
Showed his true character, and spared his life.
This kindness was not wasted.
Would anyone ever have thought
That a lion had need of a rat?
Nevertheless it happened that when leaving the forest
This lion was caught by snares,
From which his roaring could not free him.
Sir Rat came running, and made such use of his teeth
That one gnawed stitch disposed of the whole affair.
Patience and length of time
Achieve more than force or rage.
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:
This text was added to the website: 2025-09-09
Line count: 18
Word count: 135
