by
Pierre-Félix Louis (1870 - 1925), as Pierre Louÿs
La partie d'osselets
Language: French (Français)
Our translations: ENG GER
Comme nous l'aimions toutes les deux,
nous l'avons joué aux osselets.
Et ce fut une partie célèbre.
Beaucoup de jeunes filles y assistaient.
Elle amena d'abord le coup des Kyklôpes,
et moi, le coup de Sôlon. Mais elle,
le Kallibolos, et moi, me sentant perdue,
je priais la déesse !
Je jouai, j'eus l'Epiphénôn,
elle le terrible coup de Khios, moi l'Antiteukhos,
elle le Trikhias, et moi le coup d'Aphroditê
qui gagna l'amant disputé.
Mais la voyant pâlir, je la pris par le cou
et je lui dis tout près de l'oreille
(pour qu'elle seule m'entendît) :
« Ne pleure pas, petite amie,
nous le laisserons choisir entre nous. »
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Claude Achille Debussy (1862 - 1918), "La partie d'osselets", L. 102/(96) no. 5, from Chansons de Bilitis, no. 5, note: incidental music to accompany the recitation of twelve prose poems. [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Aimée Strohl (1865 - 1941), "La partie d'osselets", published 1900 [ high voice and piano ], from Bilitis, Poème en 12 chants, no. 2, Paris, Éd. Toledo & Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Marvin J. Ward) , "The Game of Jacks", copyright © 2003, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Das Astragalspiel", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Marvin J. Ward
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 17
Word count: 108
The Game of Jacks
Language: English after the French (Français)
Since we both love him,
we played jacks with him.
And it was a famous game.
Many young girls watched it.
First, she cast the throw of the Kyclôpes,
and I, the throw of Sôlon. But she,
the Kallibolos, and I, feeling I'd lost,
I prayed to the goddess!
I played, I had the Epiphénôn,
she the terrible throw of Khios, me the Antiteukhos,
she the Trikhias, and I the throw of Aphrodite
which won the disputed lover.
But, seeing her grow pale, I took her by the neck
and I told her everything in her ear
(so that she alone could hear me):
"Do not cry, little friend,
we will let him choose between us."
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2003 by Marvin J. Ward, (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:
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 17
Word count: 116
