Three Songs of Charles d'Orléans

Song Cycle by Claude Achille Debussy (1862 - 1918)

View original-language texts alone: Trois Chansons de Charles d'Orléans

1. Dieu! qu'il la fait bon regarder!
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Dieu! qu'il la fait bon regarder
La gracieuse bonne et belle;

Pour les grans biens que sont en elle
Chascun est prest de la loüer.
Qui se pourroit d'elle lasser?
Tousjours sa beauté renouvelle.

Dieu! qu'il la fait bon regarder
La gracieuse bonne et belle!

Par de ça ne de là, la mer
Ne scay dame ne damoiselle
Qui soit en tous bien parfais telle.
C'est ung songe que d'i penser:
Dieu! qu'il la fait bon regarder!

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by Charles, Duc d'Orléans (1394 - 1465)
1. God! but she is fair!
Language: English 
 God! But she is fair, 
 graceful, good and beautiful. 
 
 All are ready to praise
 her excellent qualities. 
 Who could tire of her? 
 Her beauty is ever new. 
 
 God! but she is fair, 
 graceful, good and beautiful! 
 
 Nowhere does the sea look on
 so fair and perfect 
 a lady or maiden. 
 Thinking on her is but a dream. 
 God! but she is fair!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2001 by Faith J. Cormier, (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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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 13
Word count: 62

Translation © by Faith J. Cormier
2. Quant j'ai ouy le tabourin
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Quant j'ai ouy la tabourin
Sonner, pour s'en aller au may,

En mon lit n'en ay fait affray
Ne levé mon chief du coissin;
En disant: il est trop matin
Ung peu je me rendormiray:

Quant j' ay ouy le tabourin
Sonner pour s'en aller au may,

Jeunes gens partent leur butin;
De nonchaloir m'accointeray
A lui je m'abutineray
Trouvé l'ay plus prouchain voisin;

Quant j'ay ouy le tabourin
Sonner pour s'en aller au may
En mon lit n'en ay fait affray
Ne levé mon chief du coissin.

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by Charles, Duc d'Orléans (1394 - 1465)
2. When I heard the tambourine
Language: English 
 When I heard the tambourine
 call us to go a-Maying,
 
 I did not let it frighten me in my bed
 or lift my head from my pillow, 
 saying, "It is too early,
 I will go back to sleep."
 
 When I heard the tambourine
 call us to go a-Maying,
 
 young folks dividing their spoils, 
 I cloaked myself in nonchalance,
 clinging to it
 and finding the nearest neighbour.
 
 When I heard the tambourine
 call us to go a-Maying,
 I did not let it frighten me in my bed
  or lift my head from my pillow.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2001 by Faith J. Cormier, (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: 

Based on:

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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 93

Translation © by Faith J. Cormier
3. Yver, vous n'estes qu'un vilain
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Yver, vous n'estes qu'un vilain;
Esté est plaisant et gentil
En témoing de may et d'avril 
Qui l'accompaignent soir et main.

Esté revet champs, bois et fleurs
De sa livrée de verdure
Et de maintes autres couleurs
Par l'ordonnance de nature.

Mais vous, Yver, trop estes plein 
De nège, vent, pluye et grézil.
On vous deust banir en éxil.
Sans point flater je parle plein,
Yver, vous n'estes qu'un vilain.

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by Charles, Duc d'Orléans (1394 - 1465)
3. Winter, You're Naught but a Rogue
Language: English 
Winter, you're naught but a rogue.
Summer is pleasant and kind,
as we see from May and April,
which accompany it evening and morn.
Summer, by nature's order, clothes fields, woods and flowers
with its livery of green
and many other hues.

But you, Winter, are too full
of snow, wind, rain and sleet.
We must send you into exile.
I'm no flatterer and I speak my mind.
Winter, you're naught but a rogue.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2001 by Faith J. Cormier, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 74

Translation © by Faith J. Cormier