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by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)
Translation © by David Wyatt

Ô ma belle maistresse ! à tous les moins...
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG
Ô ma belle maistresse ! à tous les moins prenez
De moy vostre servant ce Rossignol en cage,
Il est mon prissonnier, et je vis en servage
Sous vous, qui sans mercy en prison me tenez :

Allez donc, Rossignol, en sa chambre, et sonnez
Mon dueil à son oreille avec vostre ramage,
Et s'il vous est possible, émouvez son courage
A me faire mercy puis vous en revenez :

Non non, ne venez point, que feriez vous chez moy ?
Sans aucun reconfort, vous languiriez d'esmoy,
Un prisonnier ne peut un autre secourir.

Je n'ay pas Rossignol sur vostre bien envie,
Seulement je me hay et me plains de ma vie
Qui languit en prison et si n'y peut mourir.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   G. Boni •   L. Gouvy •   N. Millot 

N. Millot sets stanza 1

About the headline (FAQ)

View text with all available footnotes

Confirmed with Pierre de Ronsard, Nouvelle Continuation des Amours (1556). Les Amours, Texte établi par Hugues Vaganay, Garnier, 1923.


Text Authorship:

  • by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), no title, appears in Pièces retranchées, no. 29 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

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Researcher for this page: David Wyatt

This text was added to the website: 2012-07-26
Line count: 14
Word count: 122

O my fair mistress
NOTE: the footnotes have been removed from this text; return to general view
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
O my fair mistress, whatever you do take
From me, your servant, this nightingale in a cage;
He is my prisoner, and I live in service
To you who, without mercy, keep me in prison.

On then, nightingale, and in her bedroom sing
Warbling of my sorrow into her ear,
And if you can, stir up her courage
To grant me pity -- and then come back.

No, do not come back, what would you do here with me?
With no comfort you would pine away from your agitation;
One prisoner cannot help another.

I am not jealous, nightingale, about your good fortune,
I just hate myself and bemoan my life
Pining away in prison, and yet unable to die there.

View text with all available footnotes

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2012 by David Wyatt, (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 de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), no title, appears in Pièces retranchées, no. 29
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general view


This text was added to the website: 2012-07-26
Line count: 14
Word count: 125

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