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by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896)

La ronde des prisonniers
 (Sung text for setting by C. Bordes)
 Matches original text
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG
La cour se fleurit de souci
  Comme le front 
  De tous ceux-ci
  Qui vont en rond
En flageolant sur leur fémur
  Débilité
  Le long du mur 
  Fou de clarté.

Tournez, Samsons sans Dalila,
  Sans Philistin, 
  Tournez bien la
  Meule au destin.
Vaincu risible de la loi,
  Mouds tour à tour 
  Ton cœur, ta foi
  Et ton amour !

Ils vont! et leurs pauvres souliers
  Font un bruit sec,
  Humiliés, 
  La pipe au bec.
Pas un mot ou bien le cachot,
  Pas un soupir,
  Il fait si chaud
  Qu'on croit mourir.

J'en suis de ce cirque effaré,
  Soumis d'ailleurs
  Et préparé
  À tous malheurs.
Et pourquoi si j'ai contristé
  Ton vœu têtu,
  Société,
  Me choierais-tu ?

Allons, frères, bons vieux voleurs,
  Doux vagabonds, 
  Filous en fleur,
  Mes chers, mes bons,
Fumons philosophiquement,
  Promenons-nous 
  Paisiblement :
  Rien faire est doux.
First published in the revue Lutèce, October 4-11, 1885.

Composition:

    Set to music by Charles Bordes (1863 - 1909), "La ronde des prisonniers", 1900, published 1914, first performed 1905 [ voice and piano or orchestra ], Éd. Rouart, Lerolle & Cie

Text Authorship:

  • by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), "Autre", appears in Parallèlement, in Révérence parler, no. 3, first published 1889

See other settings of this text.

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

  • ENG English (Peter Low) , copyright © 2022, (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: 40
Word count: 135

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–Emily Ezust, Founder

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