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Three Songs of 1916
Translations © by Shawn Thuris
Song Cycle by Alfred Erik Leslie Satie (1866 - 1925)
View original-language texts alone: Trois Mélodies de 1916
La grenouille
Du jeu de tonneau
S'ennuie, le soir, sous la tonnelle...
Elle en a assez!
D'être la statue
Qui va prononcer un grand mot: Le Mot!
Elle aimerait mieux être avec les autres
Qui font des bulles de musique
Avec le savon de la lune
Au bord du lavoir mordoré
Qu'on voit, là-bas, luire entre les branches...
On lui lance à coeur de journée
Une pâture de pistoles
Qui la traversent sans lui profiter
Et s'en vont sonner
Dans les cabinets
De son piédestal numéroté!
Et le soir, les insectes couchent
Dans sa bouche...
...
Text Authorship:
- by Léon-Paul Fargue (1876 - 1947), "La statue de bronze"
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Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-5 of the original text.
The frog
Of the barrel game
Grows weary at evening, beneath the arbor...
She has had enough!
Of being the statue
Who is about to pronounce a great word: The Word!
She would love to be with the others
Who make music bubbles
With the soap of the moon
Beside the lustrous bronze tub
That one sees there, shining between the branches...
At midday one hurls at her
A feast of discs
That pass through without benefit to her
And will resound
In the chambers
Of her numbered pedestal!
And at night, the insects go to sleep
In her mouth...
...
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © by Shawn Thuris and Dr Melissa Givens, (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 Léon-Paul Fargue (1876 - 1947), "La statue de bronze"
Go to the general single-text view
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-5 of the original text.
Note: the first five stanzas were translated by Shawn Thuris for the Satie setting; the rest of the translation was provided by Meg Givens.
<This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 202
Dis-moi, Daphénéo, quel est donc cet arbre Dont les fruits sont des oiseaux qui pleurent? Cet arbre, Chrysaline, est un oisetier. Ah! Je croyais que les noisetiers Donnaient des noisettes, Daphénéo. Oui, Chrysaline, les noisetiers donnent des noisettes, Mais les oisetiers donnent des oiseaux qui pleurent. Ah!...
Tell me, Dapheneo, what is that tree The fruit of which is weeping birds? That tree, Chrysaline, is a bird-tree. Ah! I believe that trees Produce hazelnuts, Dapheneo. Yes, Chrysaline, trees give hazelnuts, But bird-trees give weeping birds. Ah!...
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © by Shawn Thuris, (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 Mimi Godebska (1899 - 1949), as M. God
Go to the general single-text view
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 40
Le chapelier s'étonne de constater Que sa montre retarde de trois jours, Bien qu'il ait eu soin de la graisser Toujours avec du beurre de première qualité. Mais il a laissé tomber des miettes De pain dans les rouages, Et il a beau plonger sa montre dans le thé, Ça ne le fera pas avancer davantage.
The hatmaker is surprised to note That his watch is three days slow, Though he has taken care to grease it, Always with first-quality butter. But he allowed crumbs of bread To fall into its gears, And though he plunged his watch in tea, This will not advance it any further.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © by Shawn Thuris, (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 René Chalupt (1885 - 1957)
Go to the general single-text view
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 52