by
Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955)
Invitation
Language: French (Français)  after the Chinese (中文)
Venez ! Autour de ma de demeure chante un ruisseau
qui est gai comme le printemps.
Vous verrez peut-être des mouettes, si le vent se lève.
Comme je ne reçois jamais personne,
je ne fais pas balayer les allées de mon jardin.
Vous marcherez sur un tapis de feuilles.
Vous m'excuserez de vous offrir un déjeuner modeste,
car le marché est très éloigné.
Croyez que je m'efforcerai de vous dire des choses agréables
pour compenser la rusticité de ma table.
Vous hésitez ? Vous craignez de me déranger ?
Nous allons boire quand même ensemble,
et nous trinquerons par-dessus la haie.
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• K. Goeyvaerts
View text with all available footnotes
Confirmed with Franz Toussaint, La flûte de jade, Paris: H. Piazza, 1922, page 48.
Text Authorship:
Based on:
Go to the general view
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust
[Administrator] , Grant Hicks
[Guest Editor] , Joost van der Linden
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2025-02-19
Line count: 13
Word count: 100
Invitation
Language: English  after the French (Français)
Come! Around my dwelling a stream sings
with the gaiety of springtime.
You may see gulls if the wind comes up.
As I never entertain,
I don't keep the paths in my garden swept.
You'll be walking on a carpet of leaves.
You'll forgive me if I offer you a modest lunch,
since the market is so far away.
Be assured that I will do my best to tell you pleasant things,
to make up for the rustic simplicity of my table.
Do you hesitate? Are you afraid of disturbing me?
We will drink together anyway,
and clink glasses over the hedge.
Available sung text translations: ← What is this?
• K. Goeyvaerts
View text with all available footnotes
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2026 by Grant Hicks, (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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Based on:
Based on:
Go to the general view
This text was added to the website: 2026-04-30
Line count: 13
Word count: 104