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.
Faulse beauté, qui tant me couste cher, Rude en effect, hypocrite doulceur, Amour dure, plus que fer, à mascher; Nommer que puis de ma deffaçon seur. Charme felon, la mort d'ung povre cueur, Orgueil mussé, qui gens met au mourir, Yeulx sans pitié! ne veult Droict de Rigueur Sans empirer, ung povre secourir? Mieulx m'eust valu avoir esté crier Ailleurs secours, c'eust esté mon bonheur: Rien ne m'eust sceu de ce fait arracher; Trotter m'en fault en fuyte à deshonneur. Haro, haro, le grand et le mineur! Et qu'est cecy? mourray sans coup ferir, Ou pitié peult, selon ceste teneur, Sans empirer, ung povre secourir. Ung temps viendra, qui fera desseicher, Jaulnir, flestrir, vostre espanie fleur: J'en risse lors, se tant peusse marcher, Mais las! nenny: ce seroit donc foleur, Vieil je seray; vous, laide et sans couleur. Or, beuvez, fort, tant que ru peult courir. Ne donnez pas à tous ceste douleur Sans empirer, ung povre secourir. Envoi Prince amoureux, des amans le greigneur, Vostre mal gré ne vouldroye encourir; Mais tout franc cueur doit, par Nostre Seigneur, Sans empirer, ung povre secourir.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotesModernized spelling provided by Laura Prichard (not used by Debussy):
Fausse beauté, qui tant me coûte cher, Rude en effet, hypocrite douceur, Amour dure plus que fer à mâcher, Nommer te puis, de ma défaçon
Authorship:
- by François Villon (1431 - 1463), "Ballade à s'amie", appears in Le Testament [author's text not yet checked 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), "Ballade de Villon a s'amye", L. 126/(119) no. 1 (1910), published 1911 [ voice and piano ], from Trois Ballades de François Villon, no. 1, Édition Durand [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Terje Bjørn Lerstad (b. 1955), "Ballade à s'amye", op. 176B no. 8 (1985) [ soprano and tenor or baritone and piano ], from François Solaire, no. 8 [sung text not yet checked]
Another version of this text exists in the database.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 29
Word count: 184
False beauty, who costs me so dearly, Harsh indeed, hypocritical sweetness, Your love lasts longer than it takes to chew iron; And I’m naming you, the top cause of my ruin. Treacherous enchantment, death to a poor heart, Hidden pride that puts people to death, Eyes without pity, can’t the rights I am entitled to Without worsening my lot, help a poor soul? It would’ve been better for me to cry Elsewhere for help: it would’ve been my good fortune; Nothing would’ve been able to tear me away from that. I pick up a trot in my flight from dishonor. Help, help, I call both urgently and beseechingly! And what’s this? Should I die without a shot being fired? Or can pity, given this situation, Without worsening my lot, help a poor soul? Your time will come: your blossoming flower Will dessicate, turn yellow, and wilt; I’ll laugh then, if I can still chew, But alas! nay; It would be folly, I’ll be old; you, ugly, and without color; So drink deep, while the river still runs; Don’t inflict on anyone else this pain, Don't worsen my lot, and help a poor soul. Envoi Prince of love, the greatest of lovers, Your disfavor I don’t wish to incur, But every honest heart must, by Our Lord, Without worsening my lot, help a poor soul.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotesTranslation of title "Ballade de Villon a s'amye" = "Villon’s Ballade to His Mistress"
The first letters of each line in the first stanza (the full octave) spell “Francoys” (the poet’s first name).
The first letters of the second stanza (only the first five lines) spell “Marthe”.
A form of the poet’s last name is also hidden in the first letters of the 5th-7th lines of the third stanza: vi[ei]l + o + n.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2016 by Laura Prichard, (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 François Villon (1431 - 1463), "Ballade à s'amie", appears in Le Testament
This text was added to the website: 2016-01-04
Line count: 29
Word count: 224