Marquise, if you have noticed

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by Pierre Corneille (1606 - 1684)

Translation © by Peter Low

Marquise

(Sung text for setting by G. Brassens)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Marquise, si mon visage 
A quelques traits un peu vieux,
Souvenez-vous qu'à mon âge
Vous ne vaudrez guère mieux.
Le temps aux plus belles choses
Se plaît à faire un affront,
Et saura faner vos roses
Comme il a ridé mon front.
Le même cours des planètes
Règle nos jours et nos nuits,
On m'a vu ce que vous êtes ;
Vous serez ce que je suis.
Peut-être que je serai vieille,
Répond Marquise, cependant
J'ai vingt-six ans, mon vieux Corneille,
Et je t'emmerde en attendant.
 ...

Note: the text above is taken from lines 1-12 of the original text.

Composition:

Georges Brassens

Text Authorship:

by Pierre Corneille (1606 - 1684), "Stances à la Marquise", written 1658, appears in Recueil de Sercy

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English [singable] (Peter Low) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Low [Guest Editor] , Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2023-05-29
Line count: 32
Word count: 163

Marquise, if you have noticed

(Sung text translation for setting by G. Brassens)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

Marquise, if you have noticed
that my face is not brand-new,
only think: when you’re past fifty,
the same will be true of you.
Father Time delights in degrading
every flower that’s young and fair.
He will surely fade your roses,
just as he has grayed my hair.
The laws that govern the planets
wrinkle every human brow.
I was once as fresh as you are
and you will be as I am now.
 ...

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Note: the text above is taken from lines 1-12 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Singable translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2023 by Peter Low, (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 Corneille (1606 - 1684), "Stances à la Marquise", written 1658, appears in Recueil de Sercy
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This text was added to the website: 2023-09-19
Line count: 32
Word count: 74