Nicolette | Nicolette, zur Abendstund

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by Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937)

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

Nicolette

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG GER

Nicolette, à la vesprée,
S'allait promener au pré,
Cueillir la pâquerette, 
la jonquille et le muguet,
Toute sautillante, toute guillerette,
Lorgnant ci, là de tous les côtés.

Rencontra vieux loup grognant,
Tout hérissé, l'œil brillant;
Hé là! ma Nicolette, 
viens tu pas chez Mère Grand?
A perte d'haleine, s'enfuit Nicolette,
Laissant là cornette et socques blancs.

Rencontra page joli,
Chausses bleues et pourpoint gris,
"Hé là! ma Nicolette, 
veux tu pas d'un doux ami?
Sage, s'en retourna, très lentement, 
le cœur bien marri.

Rencontra seigneur chenu,
Tors, laid, puant et ventru
"Hé là! ma Nicolette,
veux tu pas tous ces écus?
Vite fut en ses bras, bonne Nicolette
Jamais au pré n'est plus revenue.

Text Authorship:

by Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937)

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937), "Nicolette", M. 69 no. 1 (1914-1915), published 1916 [ SATB chorus ], from Trois chansons, no. 1, Éd. Durand [sung text checked 2 times]

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

ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Nicolette", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Nicolette", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Auditorium du Louvre

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 114

Nicolette

Language: German (Deutsch) after the French (Français)

Nicolette, zur Abendstund,
ging spazieren durch die Auen,
pflückte dort das Tausendschön,
Maiglöckchen und Osterglocke,
hüpfte keck und froh und munter,
schaut die Wiese rauf und runter.

Traf 'nen alten Grummelwolf
mit Blitzeblick, gesträubtem Fell;
„He! Kleine Nicolette,
gehst du nicht zur Großmama?“
Ganz atemlos floh Nicolette
ohne weiße Schuh’ und Häubchen.

Traf 'nen jungen Pagen:
Hose blau und graues Wams;
„He! Kleine Nicolette,
willst du nicht ´nen süßen Freund?“
Brav dreht' sie sich ganz langsam um -
untröstlich war ihr Herz.

Traf 'nen alten Herrn,
hässlich, stinkend, krumm und fett;
„He! Kleine Nicolette,
willst du nicht ’nen Haufen Geld?“
Rasch warf sie sich ihm an den Hals
und ging nie mehr durch Wald und Feld.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2015 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2015-01-15
Line count: 24
Word count: 115