Poor Jeannette | LiederNet

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian (1755 - 1794)

Translation © by Grant Hicks

Pauvre Jeanette

(Sung text for setting by F. Mendelssohn)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

   Pauvre Jeanette,
Qui chantoit si bien,
      Lalirette,
   Triste et seulette,
Tu ne dis plus rien.
   Las ! je soupire
Loin de mon ami :
   Ne sais rien dire
A d'autres qu'à lui.

   Jeune fillette,
Ne peux-tu changer ?
      Lalirette :
   Crois-moi, Jeanette,
Choisis un berger.
   Le roi lui-même
Auroit un refus ;
   Du jour qu'on aime
On ne choisit plus.

Composition:

Felix Mendelssohn

Text Authorship:

by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian (1755 - 1794), no title, appears in Claudine

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (Grant Hicks) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Grant Hicks [Guest Editor] , Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2010-07-27
Line count: 18
Word count: 62

Poor Jeanette

(Sung text translation for setting by F. Mendelssohn)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

  "Poor Jeanette,
Who sang so well,
      Tralala,
   Sad and all alone,
You no longer say anything."
   "Alas! I am pining
Far from my sweetheart:
   I can't say anything 
To anyone but him."

   "Young little girl,
Can't you make a change?
      Tralala:
   Believe me, Jeanette,
Choose a shepherd."
   "The king himself 
I would turn away;
   Once one falls in love
One no longer has a choice."

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2025 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 French (Français) by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian (1755 - 1794), no title, appears in Claudine
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2025-11-24
Line count: 18
Word count: 70