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English translation of De moins que riens l’on peut à peu venir

by Hubert Naich (c1513 - c1546), "De moins que riens l’on peut à peu venir"

Note: this is a translation of one multi-text setting.

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De moins que riens l’on peut à peu venir
Et puis ce peu n’a se si peu de puissance
Qu’assez ne fasse à assez parvenir
Celuy qui veut avoir la suffisance
Mais si au trop (de malheur) il s’avance
Ne recevant d’assez contentement
En dangeresse par la folle inconstance
De retourner à son commencement
      De moins que riens.

Text Authorship:

  • by Mellin de Saint-Gelais (1487 - 1558), "De moins que riens l’on peut à peu venir"

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Researcher for this page: David Wyatt
De plus qu’assez l’on peut à trop venir
Et puis ce trop a si grande puissance
Que bien tost fait un rien parvenir
Celluy qui n’a d’assez la suffisance
Mais si de peu (de bonheur) se contente
En detestant de trop l’avancement
Asseuré est par constance prudente
De retourner à son commencement
       De plus qu’assez.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

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Researcher for this page: David Wyatt
Author(s): Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , Mellin de Saint-Gelais (1487 - 1558)
To less than nothing one can come in a little while,
And this little has not so little power
That it can’t do enough to get enough.
He who wants enough
But yet advances to too much (by mischance)
Not getting happiness from enough
Is in danger, through foolish inconstancy 
Of returning to his beginning,
     To less than nothing.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2017 by David Wyatt, (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 Mellin de Saint-Gelais (1487 - 1558), "De moins que riens l’on peut à peu venir"
    • Go to the text page.

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To more than enough one can come too much,
And since this too much has such great power
That quite soon it makes nothing appear.
He who hasn’t enough of enough
But yet contents himself with little (by good chance)
In detesting too much advancement
Is assured through constant prudence
Of returning to his beginning
     To more than enough.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2017 by David Wyatt, (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 Anonymous/Unidentified Artist
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


Translation © by David Wyatt
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