by Louis Charles Alfred de Musset (1810 - 1857)
Translation © by Barbara Miller

Chanson espagnole
 (Sung text for setting by C. Debussy)
 See original
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  CHI ENG ENG GER
Nous venions de voir le taureau,
  Trois garçons, trois fillettes.
Sur la pelouse il faisait beau,
Et nous dansions un boléro
  Au son des castagnettes :
    « Dites-moi, voisin,
    Si j'ai bonne mine,
    Et si ma basquine
    Va bien, ce matin.
  Vous me trouvez la taille fine ?...
        Ah ! ah !
Les filles de Cadix aiment assez cela. »

Et nous dansions un boléro
  Un soir, c'était dimanche.
Vers nous s'en vint un hidalgo
Cousu d'or, la plume au chapeau,
  Et le poing sur la hanche :
    « Si tu veux de moi,
    Brune au doux sourire,
    Tu n'as qu'à le dire,
    Cet or est à toi.
  -- Passez votre chemin, beau sire...
        Ah ! Ah !
Les filles de Cadix n'entendent pas cela. »

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2 of the original text.

Composition:

    Set to music by Claude Achille Debussy (1862 - 1918), "Chanson espagnole", L. 49/(42) (1883), stanzas 1-2 [ vodal duet for equal voices ]

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CHI Chinese (中文) (Yan-Jiang Che) , "我們剛離開鬥牛場", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Barbara Miller) , copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Korin Kormick) , "The Girls of Cadix", copyright © 2003, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Beate Binnig) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 36
Word count: 174

We were coming from seeing the bull
 (Sung text translation for setting by C. Debussy)
 See original
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
We were coming from seeing the bull,
Three boys, three girls,
On the grass the weather was fair,
And we were dancing a bolero
To the sound of castanets;
Tell me, neighbor,
If I look well
And if my skirt
Looks good on me, this morning,
Do you find my waist slender?
Ah! Ah!
The girls of Cadiz rather like that.

And we were dancing a bolero
One evening--it was Sunday,
Toward us came a hidalgo
Covered with gold, a feather in his hat,
And his fist on his hip:
If you want me,
Brunette with the sweet smile,
You have only to say so,
This gold is yours.
Go on your way, good sir,
Ah! Ah!
The girls of Cadiz don't understand that.

 ...

About the headline (FAQ)

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2004 by Barbara Miller, (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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This text was added to the website: 2004-05-01
Line count: 36
Word count: 185