The Old Beggar | My honest, good gentlemen and ladies

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by Jean Richepin (1849 - 1926)

Translation © by Laura Stanfield Prichard

Le Vieux

(Sung text for setting by C. Cui)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Mes braves bons messieurs et dames,
Par Sainte-Marie-Notre-Dame,
Voyez le pauvre vieux stropiat.
Pater noster ! Ave Maria !
   Ayez pitié !

Mes braves bons messieurs et dames,
La charité des bonnes âmes !
Un p’tit sou, et Dieu vous l’ rendra.
Pater noster ! Ave Maria !
   Ayez pitié !

Mes braves bons messieurs et dames,
Chez ceux qui ne voient pas les larmes,
Quand Dieu le veut, grêle il y a.
Pater noster ! Ave Maria !
   Ayez pitié !

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-3 of the original text.

Composition:

César Antonovich Cui

Vingt Poèmes de Jean Richepin

Text Authorship:

by Jean Richepin (1849 - 1926), "Le Vieux", written 1876, appears in La chanson des gueux, in 1. Gueux des champs, in 1. Chansons de mendiants, no. 4

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (Laura Stanfield Prichard) , "The Old Beggar", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 25
Word count: 124

The Old Beggar

(Sung text translation for setting by C. Cui)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

My honest, good gentlemen and ladies,
In the name of St. Mary, Our Lady,
Observe a poor old disabled man.
Pater noster! Ave Maria!
Do you have any pity?

My honest, good gentlemen and ladies,
I ask for charity from such good souls!
Give me one little coin, and God will return it to you.
Pater noster! Ave Maria!
Have pity!

My honest, good gentlemen and ladies,
All those who aren’t used to seeing tears,
As God wills, here’s a deluge of tears.
Pater noster! Ave Maria!
Have pity!

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-3 of the original text.

Translator's note for line four of every stanza: these are Latin titles of Catholic prayers: “Our father” and “Hail Mary” .

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2023 by Laura Stanfield 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Jean Richepin (1849 - 1926), "Le Vieux", written 1876, appears in La chanson des gueux, in 1. Gueux des champs, in 1. Chansons de mendiants, no. 4
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This text was added to the website: 2023-10-17
Line count: 25
Word count: 91