Marquise, do you remember

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by François Coppée (1842 - 1908)

Translation © by Peter Low

Menuet

(Sung text for setting by C. Saint-Saëns)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Marquise, vous souvenez-vous
Du menuet que nous dansâmes?
Il était discret, noble et doux
Comme l'accord de nos deux âmes.

 ... 

Rayonnante, vous surpreniez
Tous les coeurs et tous les hommages,
Dans votre robe à grands paniers,
Dans votre robe à grands ramages.

Vous leviez, de vos doigts gantés
Et selon la cadence douce,
Votre jupe des deux côtés
Prise entre l'index et le pouce.

Plus d'une belle, à Trianon,
Enviait, parmi vos émules,
Le travail exquis et mignon
De vos deux petits pieds à mules.

Mais, distraite par le bonheur
De leur causer cette souffrance,
A la reprise en la mineur,
Vous manquâtes la révérence.

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,3-6 of the original text.

Composition:

Charles Camille Saint-Saëns

Text Authorship:

by François Coppée (1842 - 1908), "Menuet", written 1874, appears in Le cahier rouge, no. 8, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1874

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 page: Ted Perry

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 133

Minuet

(Sung text translation for setting by C. Saint-Saëns)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

Marquise, do you remember
the minuet that we danced?
It was discreet, noble and gentle
like the harmony of our two souls.

 ... 

Radiant, you surprised and won
all hearts and all compliments,
in your dress with the crinoline hoops,
your dress with the large floral patterns.

With your gloved fingers, in time
with the gentle rhythm, you lifted
the left and right hems of your skirt
clasped between thumb and forefinger.

Many a fair young rival of yours
in the Trianon Palace, envied
the cute and exquisite work
of your little feet in dancing shoes.

But you, distracted by the pleasure
you felt at making them suffer,
when the music changed to A minor,
failed to make the customary curtsey.

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,3-6 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2022 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.
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Based on:

a text in French (Français) by François Coppée (1842 - 1908), "Menuet", written 1874, appears in Le cahier rouge, no. 8, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1874
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This text was added to the website: 2022-05-25
Line count: 24
Word count: 151