by Olivier de Magny (1529 - 1560)
Translation © by David Wyatt

Hola, hola, Caron, nautonnier infernal
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG
M. 
 Hola, hola, Caron, nautonnier infernal. 
C. 
 Qui est cet importun qui si pressé m’appelle ?
M. 
 C’est l’esprit esploré d’un amoureux fidelle
 Lequel pour bien aymer n’eust jamais que du mal.

C. 
 Que cherche tu de moy?
M. 
                         Le passage fatal.
C. 
 Qui est ton homicide?
M.
                         O demande cruelle !
Amour m’a faict mourir. 
C. 
                         Jamais dans ma nacelle
Nul subget à l’amour je ne conduis à val.

M. 
 Et de grace Caron, reçoy moy dans ta barque.
C.
 Cherche un autre nocher car ny moy ny la Parque
 N’entreprenons jamais sur ce maistre des dieux.

M.
 J’yray donc maugré toy car j’ay dedans mon ame
 Tant de traicts amoureux et de larmes aux yeux
 Que j’en feray le fleuve et la barque et la rame.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Olivier de Magny, Souspirs, 1557.


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):

    [ None yet in the database ]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in French (Français), [adaptation] ; composed by Anthoine de Bertrand.

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

  • ENG English (David Wyatt) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: David Wyatt

This text was added to the website: 2019-10-30
Line count: 28
Word count: 126

Ahoy there, Charon, hell’s sailor!
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
S. 
 Ahoy there, Charon, hell’s sailor!
C.
 Who is that tiresome person, so keen to call me?
S.
 It’s the lamented soul of a true lover
 Who, for loving too well, only ever had bad things.

C.
 What do you want from me?
S.
                             Death’s journey.
C.
 Who killed you?
S.
                  Cruel question!
 Love made me die.
C.
                   I never carry in my boat
Any who has died of love [who was love’s slave] to the vale (of death).

S.
 Please, Charon, take me into [in] your bark.
C.
 Seek some other cox, for neither I nor Fate
Ever have anything to do with that master of the gods.

S.
 Then I shall go despite you, for I have in my soul
 So many wounds of love, so many tears in my eyes,
 That of them I shall make my own river, my own bark, my own oar.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2019 by David Wyatt, (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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This text was added to the website: 2019-10-30
Line count: 28
Word count: 148