Here's a song about absolutely nothing: It's not about me, Not about anyone else; Not about love. Not about being young, Not about anything else either
The Song of Nothing
Set by Anian Wiedner (b. 2001), "The Song of Nothing", 2025 [ soprano, bass flute and percussion ], note: the sung text interleaves fragments of the original Occitan text and the translation
 [sung text not yet checked]
Note: this setting is made up of several separate texts.
Text Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [an adaptation]
Based on:
- a text in Occitan by Guillaume IX d'Aquitaine, Comte de Poitiers (1071 - 1127), "Farai un vers de dreyt nien"
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Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]Farai un vers de dreyt nien : Non er de mi ni d’autra gen, Non er d’amor ni de joven, Ni de ren au, Qu’enans fo trobatz en durmen Sobre chevau. No sai en quai hora.m fuy natz : No suy alegres ni iratz, No suy estrayns ni sui privatz, Ni no.n puesc au, Qu’enaissi fuy de nueitz fadatz, Sobr’ un pueg au. No sai qu’ora.m suy endurmitz Ni quora.m velh, s’om no m’o ditz. Per pauc no m’es lo cor partitz D’un dol corau ; E no m’o pretz una soritz Pei sanh Marsau ! Malautz suy e cre mi murir, E ren no.n sai mas quan n’aug dir : Metge querrai al mieu albir, E no sai cau ; Bos metges er si.m pot guérir, Mas non, si amau. Amigu’ ai ieu, no sai qui s’es, Qu’anc non la vi, si m’ajut fes ; Ni.m fes que.m plassa ni que.m pes, Ni no m’en eau, Qu’anc non ac Norman ni Frances Dins mon ostau. Anc non la vi et am la fort, Anc no n’aic dreyt ni no.m fes tort ; Quan non la vey, be m’en déport, No.m pretz un jau, Qu’ie.n sai gensor e bellazor, E que mais vau. Fag’ai lo vers, no say de cuy ; E trametrai lo a selhuy Que lo.m trametra per autruy Lay ves Anjau, Que.m tramezes del sieu estuy La contraclau.
Text Authorship:
- by Guillaume IX d'Aquitaine, Comte de Poitiers (1071 - 1127), "Farai un vers de dreyt nien"
Go to the general single-text view
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist) [an adaptation]
Confirmed with Guillaume IX de Poitiers Voir, Les chansons de Guillaume IX, Alfred Jeanroy, Paris : H. Champion, 1913, p.30
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]