I can feel my thirst coming on

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by François Villon (1431 - 1463)

Translation © by Grant Hicks

Je cognoys approcher ma soef

(Sung text for setting by R. Laparra)

See original

Language: Middle French

Our translations: ENG

Je cognoys approcher ma soef,
Je crache, blanc comme cotton,
Jacobins gros comme ung estoeuf.
Qu'est ce à dire ? Que Jehanneton
Plus ne me tient pour valeton ;
Mais pour ung vieil usé regnart.
De vieil, porte voix et le ton,
Et ne suys q'ung jeune coquart.
Qu'est ce à dire ? Que Jehanneton
Plus ne me tient pour valeton.
Je crache, hélas ! je crache...

Composition:

Raoul Laparra

Le Missel Chantant, Suite de mélodies sur de vieilles poésies françaises - 6ème volume

Text Authorship:

by François Villon (1431 - 1463), no title

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

ENG English (Grant Hicks) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Grant Hicks [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-07-08
Line count: 8
Word count: 52

I can feel my thirst coming on

(Sung text translation for setting by R. Laparra)

See original

Language: English after the Middle French

I can feel my thirst coming on,
I spit, white as cotton,
Gobs of phlegm the size of a tennis ball.
What's there to say? Dear Jeanne
 Shouldn't think of me any longer as a young man,
But as an old, worn-out fox.
I have an old man's voice and tone,
And yet I'm just a young dandy.
What's there to say? Dear Jeanne
Shouldn't think of me any longer as a young man.
I spit, alas ! I spit...

Text Authorship:

Translation from Middle French 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Middle French by François Villon (1431 - 1463), no title
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2026-07-08
Line count: 8
Word count: 64