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The Bestiary

Translations © by Michael P Rosewall

Song Cycle by Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963)

View original-language texts alone: Le Bestiaire ou cortège d'Orphée

1. Le Dromadaire

(Sung text)

Language: French (Français)

Avec ses quatre dromadaires
Don Pedro d'Alfaroubeira
Courut le monde et l'admira.
Il fit ce que je voudrais faire
Si j'avais quatre dromadaires.

Text Authorship:

by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "Le Dromadaire", written 1908, appears in Le Bestiaire, ou Cortège d'Orphée, no. 10, first published 1908

See other settings of this text.

First published in the revue La Phalange, no. 24, June 15, 1908, no. 9 in La Marchande des quatre saisons ou le bestiaire mondain

by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire

1. The dromedary

Language: English

With his four dromedaries,
Don Pedro d'Alfaroubeira
Wandered and wondered at the world.
He did what I would like to do
If I had four dromedaries.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2015 by Michael P Rosewall, (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 Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "Le Dromadaire", written 1908, appears in Le Bestiaire, ou Cortège d'Orphée, no. 10, first published 1908
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This text was added to the website: 2015-08-25
Line count: 5
Word count: 26

Translation © by Michael P Rosewall

2. La Chèvre du Thibet

(Sung text)

Language: French (Français)

Les poils de cette chèvre et même 
Ceux d'or pour qui prit tant de peine 
Jason, ne valent rien au prix 
Des cheveux dont je suis épris.

Text Authorship:

by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "La Chèvre du Thibet", appears in Le Bestiaire, ou Cortège d'Orphée, no. 4, first published 1908

See other settings of this text.

First published in the revue La Phalange, no. 24, June 15, 1908 as number 4 of "La Marchande des quatre saisons ou le bestiaire mondain" (a collection of 18 poems), and later in Le Bestiaire ou Cortège d'Orphée (1911).

by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire

2. The Tibetan goat

Language: English

The fleece of this goat, and even that
Of gold for which Jason took such pains,
Are worthless compared to 
The locks that I yearn for.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2015 by Michael P Rosewall, (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 Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "La Chèvre du Thibet", appears in Le Bestiaire, ou Cortège d'Orphée, no. 4, first published 1908
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2015-08-25
Line count: 4
Word count: 26

Translation © by Michael P Rosewall

3. La sauterelle

(Sung text)

Language: French (Français)

Voici la fine sauterelle, 
La nourriture de saint Jean. 
Puissent mes vers être comme elle, 
Le régal des meilleures gens.

Text Authorship:

by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "La sauterelle", written 1910, appears in Le Bestiaire, ou Cortège d'Orphée, no. 17, first published 1911

See other settings of this text.

by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire

3. The locust

Language: English

Behold the fine locust,
The nourishment of St. John.
Would that my verses could be like her,
A feast for the very best folk.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2015 by Michael P Rosewall, (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 Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "La sauterelle", written 1910, appears in Le Bestiaire, ou Cortège d'Orphée, no. 17, first published 1911
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2015-08-25
Line count: 4
Word count: 24

Translation © by Michael P Rosewall

4. Le Dauphin

(Sung text)

Language: French (Français)

Dauphins, vous jouez dans la mer, 
Mais le flot est toujours amer. 
Parfois, ma joie éclate-t-elle? 
La vie est encore cruelle.

Text Authorship:

by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "Le Dauphin", written 1910, appears in Le Bestiaire, ou Cortège d'Orphée, no. 19, first published 1911

See other settings of this text.

by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire

4. The dolphin

Language: English

Dolphins, you play in the sea,
But the tide is always bitter.
Perchance, my joy may burst forth?
But life is ever so cruel.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2015 by Michael P Rosewall, (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 Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "Le Dauphin", written 1910, appears in Le Bestiaire, ou Cortège d'Orphée, no. 19, first published 1911
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2015-08-25
Line count: 4
Word count: 24

5. L'Écrevisse

(Sung text)

Language: French (Français)

Incertitude, ô mes délices 
Vous et moi nous nous en allons 
Comme s'en vont les écrevisses, 
À reculons, à reculons.

Text Authorship:

by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "L'Écrevisse", written 1910, appears in Le Bestiaire, ou Cortège d'Orphée, no. 22, first published 1911

See other settings of this text.

by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire

5. The crawfish

Language: English

Uncertainty, oh my delight.
You and I, we go onward
Just like the crawfish,
Backwards, always backwards.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2015 by Michael P Rosewall, (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 Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "L'Écrevisse", written 1910, appears in Le Bestiaire, ou Cortège d'Orphée, no. 22, first published 1911
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This text was added to the website: 2015-08-25
Line count: 4
Word count: 17

6. La Carpe

(Sung text)

Language: French (Français)

Dans vos viviers, dans vos étangs, 
Carpes, que vous vivez longtemps ! 
Est-ce que la mort vous oublie, 
Poissons de la mélancolie.

Text Authorship:

by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "La Carpe", written 1910, appears in Le Bestiaire, ou Cortège d'Orphée, no. 23, first published 1911

See other settings of this text.

by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire

6. The carp

Language: English

Within your environs, your pools,
Carp, you live such a long time!
Is it that Death has forgotten you,
Fish of woe?

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2015 by Michael P Rosewall, (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 Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "La Carpe", written 1910, appears in Le Bestiaire, ou Cortège d'Orphée, no. 23, first published 1911
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2015-08-25
Line count: 4
Word count: 22