by
Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937)
Nicolette
Language: French (Français)
Available translation(s): ENG GER
Nicolette, à la vesprée,
S'allait promener au pré,
Cueillir la pâquerette,
la jonquille et le muguet,
Toute sautillante, toute guillerette,
Lorgnant ci, là de tous les côtés.
Rencontra vieux loup grognant,
Tout hérissé, l'œil brillant;
Hé là! ma Nicolette,
viens tu pas chez Mère Grand?
A perte d'haleine, s'enfuit Nicolette,
Laissant là cornette et socques blancs.
Rencontra page joli,
Chausses bleues et pourpoint gris,
"Hé là! ma Nicolette,
veux tu pas d'un doux ami?
Sage, s'en retourna, très lentement,
le cœur bien marri.
Rencontra seigneur chenu,
Tors, laid, puant et ventru
"Hé là! ma Nicolette,
veux tu pas tous ces écus?
Vite fut en ses bras, bonne Nicolette
Jamais au pré n'est plus revenue.
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Nicolette", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Nicolette", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Auditorium du Louvre
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 114
Nicolette
Language: English  after the French (Français)
Nicolette, at twilight,
Went for a walk through the fields,
To pick daisies,
daffodils, and lilies of the valley.
Skipping around, completely jolly,
Spying here, there, and everywhere.
She met an old, growling wolf,
On alert, eyes a-sparkle:
"Hey there! Nicolette, my dear,
won't you come to Grandmother's house?"
Out of breath, Nicolette fled,
Leaving behind her cornette and white clogs.
She met a cute page,
Blue shoes and gray doublet:
"Hey there! Nicolette dear,
wouldn't you like a sweetheart?"
Wisely, she turned 'round, poor Nicolette,
very slowly, with a contrite heart.
She met an old gentleman,
Twisted, ugly, smelly and pot-bellied:
"Hey there! Nicolette dear,
don't you want all this money?"
She ran straight into his arms, good Nicolette,
Never to return to the fields again.
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Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2013 by Laura Prichard, (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:
This text was added to the website: 2013-06-10
Line count: 24
Word count: 127