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.
If you wish to reprint translations, please use the Reprint Basket (upper right hand corner).
Reminder: You must always use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
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:
- by Pierre-Félix Louis (1870 - 1925), as Pierre Louÿs, "La partie d'osselets", appears in Les Chansons de Bilitis, in Bucoliques en Pamphylie, no. 28 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
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
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.
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Pierre-Félix Louis (1870 - 1925), as Pierre Louÿs, "La partie d'osselets", appears in Les Chansons de Bilitis, in Bucoliques en Pamphylie, no. 28
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 17
Word count: 116