Quand ma maitresse au monde print naissance, 
Honneur, Vertu, Grace, Savoir, Beauté 
Eurent debat avec la Chasteté 
Qui plus auroit [sus]1 elle de puissance. 

L'une vouloit en avoir joüyssance, 
L'autre vouloit l'avoir de son costé, 
Et le debat immortel eust esté 
Sans Jupiter, qui [leur posa]2 silence. 

Filles, dit-il, ce n'est pas la raison 
[Que l'une seule ait si belle maison,]3 
Pour-ce je veus qu'apointement on face: 

L'accord fut fait: et plus soudainement 
Qu'il ne l'eut dit, toutes également 
En son beau cors pour jamais [prindrent]4 place.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ de Maletty: "sur"
² de Maletty, de Monte: "fist fair"
³ de Maletty, de Monte: "Qu'une pour elle ait toute la maison"; one part (only) in Bertrand's version has the combined text "Que l’une seule ait toute la maison"
⁴ de Maletty: "eurent"

Text Authorship:

• by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), no title, appears in Continuation des Amours, no. 34, first published 1555 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

• by Anthoine de Bertrand (1540? - 1581?), "Quand ma maistresse au monde print naissance", published 1578, first performed 1576 [ vocal quartet a cappella ], from Les Amours de Pierre de Ronsard à 4 parties, Livre 2, no. 11 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Jean de Maletty (flourished 16th century), "Quand ma maitresse au monde print naissance" [ vocal quartet ], note: only one voice-part currently exists [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Philippe de Monte (1521 - 1603), "Quand ma maitresse au monde print naissance" [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

• ENG English (David Wyatt) , "When my mistress was born into the world", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: David Wyatt

This text was added to the website: 2010-10-28
Line count: 14
Word count: 87

When my mistress was born into the world,
Honour, Virtue, Grace, Knowledge and Beauty
Debated with Chastity
Who should have the greatest power over her.

One wanted to enjoy her,
Another to have her by her side,
And the debate would have lasted for ever
Without Jupiter, who imposed silence on them.

My daughters, he said, there is no reason
[That just one of you should have so fair a home,]1
For this reason I want you to face your disappointment.

The agreement was made, and even more suddenly
Than he had said it, everyone equally
[Took]2 their place in her fair body for ever.