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Il fut s'aimer toujours Et ne s'épouser guère. Il faut faire l'amour Sans curé ni notaire. Cessez, messieurs, d'être épouseurs, Ne visez qu'aux tirelires, Ne visez qu'aux tourelours, Cessez, messieurs, d'être épouseurs, Ne visez qu'aux cœurs Cessez, messieurs, d'être épouseurs, Holà messieurs, ne visez plus qu'aux cœurs. Pourquoi se marier, Quand la femme des autres Ne se font pas prier Pour devenir les nôtres. Quand leurs ardeurs, Quand leurs faveurs, Cherchent nos tirelires, Cherchent nos tourelours, Cherchent nos cœurs.
Text Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author ( 18th century ) [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 belle jeunesse", FP 42 no. 7 (1925-1926), published 1926 [ baritone and piano ], from Chansons gaillardes, no. 7, Éd. Heugel [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Bertram Kottmann , "Goldene Jugend", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission ; composed by Gary Bachlund.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La bella joventut", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Simon Chalifoux) , "The pretty young woman", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Sonja Lohmiller) , "Die schöne Jugend", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Matthias Fletzberger
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 79
We only need to love each other and never marry. We must make love without priest or notary. Stop, sirs, don't marry! Aim only for the cash; Aim only for the pleasure. Stop, sirs, don't marry, Aim only for the hearts. Why should we marry, If we don't need to beg The wives of other man To become ours. When their passions, When their favors, Look for our money, Look for our pleasures, Look for our hearts.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2013 by Simon Chalifoux, (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 Anonymous/Unidentified Artist
This text was added to the website: 2013-09-26
Line count: 18
Word count: 77