It's a lover, open the door

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sometimes misattributed to Jean-Baptiste Pocquelin (1622 - 1673), as Molière and sometimes misattributed to Mathieu de Montreuil (1620 - 1691)

Translation © by Peter Low

Sérénade

(Sung text for setting by J. Massenet)

See base text

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

C'est un Amant, ouvrez la porte.
Il est plein d'amour et de foi.
Que faites-vous, êtes-vous morte,
Ou ne l'êtes-vous que pour moi?

Si vous n'êtes pas éveillée,
Je ne veux point quitter ce lieu.
Si vous n'êtes pas habillée,
Que je vous voie, et puis adieu.

Voulez-vous qu'ici je demeure
Demi-mort, tremblant et jaloux?
Hélas! s'il vous plaît que je meure,
Que ce soit au moins devant vous.

 ... 

Ah! vous ouvrez : Belle farouche,
J'entends la clef, c'est votre voix.
Ô belle main, ô belle bouche!
Que je vous baise mille fois.

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-3,5 of the original text.

Note: this poem is attributed to Mathieu de Montreuil in many places with the title "Stances" (and sometimes to Molière), but it appeared before either author's birth in an anonymous setting for treble voice and lute in the collection by Gabriel Bataille, Airs de differents avthevrs, mis en tablatvre de lvth..., second livre, Paris: Pierre Ballard, 1609, fol. 11.

With thanks to Professor Gordon J Callon for pointing this out (June 2013).

Composition:

Jules Massenet

Text Authorship:

sometimes misattributed to Jean-Baptiste Pocquelin (1622 - 1673), as Molière
sometimes misattributed to Mathieu de Montreuil (1620 - 1691)

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: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2011-07-25
Line count: 20
Word count: 117

It's a lover, open the door

(Sung text translation for setting by J. Massenet)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

It's a lover, open the door.
He is full of love and good faith.
What are you doing, are you dead?
Or dead only for me?

If you're not awake
I don't want to budge from here.
If you're not dressed,
let me see you, then say goodbye.

Do you want me to stay here
half-dead, trembling and jealous?
Alas! If you wish me to die,
let it at least be in front of you.

 ... 

Ah, you're opening the door! O untamed Beauty,
I hear the key, I hear your voice.
Oh beautiful hand, oh beautiful lips!
Let me kiss you a thousand times.

About the headline (FAQ)

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-3,5 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) misattributed to Jean-Baptiste Pocquelin (1622 - 1673), as Molière and misattributed to Mathieu de Montreuil (1620 - 1691)
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This text was added to the website: 2022-10-31
Line count: 20
Word count: 132