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Three Songs of Bilitis
Song Cycle by Jeanne Bernard (1895 - 1965)
View original-language texts alone: Trois chansons de Bilitis
1. Les petites enfants [sung text not yet checked]
Language: French (Français)
La rivière est presque à sec ; les joncs flétris meurent dans la fange ; l'air brûle, et loin des berges creuses, un ruisseau clair coule sur les graviers. C'est là que du matin au soir les petits enfants nus viennent jouer. Ils se baignent, pas plus haut que leurs mollets, tant la rivière est basse. Mais ils marchent dans le courant, et glissent quelquefois sur les roches, et les petits garçons jettent de l'eau sur les petites filles qui rient. Et quand une troupe de marchands qui passe, mène boire au fleuve les énormes boeufs blancs, ils croisent leurs mains derrière eux et regardent les grandes bêtes.
Text Authorship:
- by Pierre-Félix Louis (1870 - 1925), as Pierre Louÿs, "Les petites enfants", appears in Les Chansons de Bilitis, in Bucoliques en Pamphylie, no. 17
See other settings of this text.
by Pierre-Félix Louis (1870 - 1925), as Pierre Louÿs
1.
Language: English
The river has nearly dried up; the withered reeds are dying in the mud; it is boiling hot, and far from the hollow banks, a clear stream is flowing over gravel. That is where from morning to night the little naked children come to play. They bathe, in water that is not knee-deep, since the river-level is so low. But they walk in the shallow stream, and sometimes they slip on the rocks, and the little boys throw water at the little girls, who laugh. And when some passing cattle-dealers bring their great white oxen to drink, the children stand with hands behind their backs and stare at the enormous beasts.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2026 by Peter Low, (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 Pierre-Félix Louis (1870 - 1925), as Pierre Louÿs, "Les petites enfants", appears in Les Chansons de Bilitis, in Bucoliques en Pamphylie, no. 17
Go to the general single-text view
This text was added to the website: 2026-02-10
Line count: 16
Word count: 111
Translation © by Peter Low
2. Les contes [sung text not yet checked]
Language: French (Français)
Je suis aimée des petits enfants; dès qu'ils me voient, ils courent à moi, et s'accrochent à ma tunique et prennent mes jambes dans leurs petits bras. S'ils ont cueilli des fleurs, ils me les donnent toutes ; s'ils ont pris un scarabée ils le mettent dans ma main; s'ils n'ont rien ils me caressent et me font asseoir devant eux. Alors ils m'embrassent sur la joue, ils posent leurs têtes sur mes seins ; ils me supplient avec les yeux. Je sais bien ce que cela veut dire. Cela veut dire: "Bilitis chérie, [dis-nous]1, car nous sommes gentils, l'histoire du héros Perseus ou la mort de la petite Hellé."
Text Authorship:
- by Pierre-Félix Louis (1870 - 1925), as Pierre Louÿs, "Les contes", appears in Les Chansons de Bilitis, in Bucoliques en Pamphylie, no. 18
See other settings of this text.
View text without footnotes1 Debussy: "redis-nous"
by Pierre-Félix Louis (1870 - 1925), as Pierre Louÿs
2. The tales
Language: English
I am beloved of the little children; as soon as they see me, they run to me, and clutch my tunic, and take my legs in their little arms. If they have gathered flowers, they give them all to me; if they have caught a beetle, they put it in my hand; if they have nothing, they caress me and make me sit down in front of them. Then they kiss me on the cheek, they put their heads on my breasts; they plead with me with their eyes. I know well what that means. That means: "Dear Bilitis, tell us [again] because we are nice, the story of the hero Perseus or the death of little Hellé. "
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2003 by Marvin J. Ward, (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 Pierre-Félix Louis (1870 - 1925), as Pierre Louÿs, "Les contes", appears in Les Chansons de Bilitis, in Bucoliques en Pamphylie, no. 18
Go to the general single-text view
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 119
Translation © by Marvin J. Ward
3. Berceuse [sung text not yet checked]
Language: French (Français)
[Dors :]1 j'ai demandé à Sardes tes jouets, et tes vêtements à Babylone. Dors, tu es fille de Bilitis et d'un roi du soleil levant. Les bois, ce sont les palais qu'on bâtit pour toi seule et que je t'ai donnés. Les troncs des pins, ce sont les colonnes ; les hautes branches, ce sont les voûtes. Dors. Pour qu'il ne t'éveille pas, je vendrai le soleil à la mer. Le vent des ailes de la colombe est moins léger que ton haleine. [Fille]2 de moi, chair de ma chair, [tu]3 diras quand tu ouvriras les yeux, si tu veux la plaine ou la ville, ou la montagne ou la lune, ou le cortège blanc des dieux.
Text Authorship:
- by Pierre-Félix Louis (1870 - 1925), as Pierre Louÿs, "Berceuse", appears in Les Chansons de Bilitis, in Bucoliques en Pamphylie, no. 45
See other settings of this text.
View text without footnotesConfirmed with Œuvres complètes de Pierre Louÿs, 1929 - 1931, tome 2 (1894 (Chansons de Bilitis)), Slatkine reprints, 1973, page 61. Note: the text appears as prose paragraphs. We have added line-breaks.
1 Lacerda: "Dors, dors,"2 Lacerda: "Dors, fille"
3 Lacerda: "tu me"
by Pierre-Félix Louis (1870 - 1925), as Pierre Louÿs
3. Lullaby
Language: English
Sleep now, I have ordered your toys from Sardis and your clothes from Babylon. Sleep, you are the daughter of Bilitis and of a king from the rising sun. The woods are palaces which are built for you alone and which I have given you. The trunks of the pines are the columns, the high branches are the vaults. Sleep now. To prevent the sun from waking you I will sell him to the ocean. Your breath is lighter than the wind of the dove's wings. Oh my daughter, flesh of my flesh, when you open your eyes you will say whether you want the plain or the city, or the mountain or the moon, or the white cortege of the Gods.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2022 by Peter Low, (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 Pierre-Félix Louis (1870 - 1925), as Pierre Louÿs, "Berceuse", appears in Les Chansons de Bilitis, in Bucoliques en Pamphylie, no. 45
Go to the general single-text view
This text was added to the website: 2022-09-23
Line count: 14
Word count: 122
Translation © by Peter Low