While thus in peaceful guise they sate, A knock alarm'd the outer gate, And ere the tardy porter stirr'd, The tinkling of a harp was heard. A manly voice of mellow swell, Bore burden to the music well. Song "Summer eve is gone and past, Summer dew is falling fast; I have wander'd all the day, Do not bid me farther stray! Gentle hearts, of gentle kin, Take the wandering harper in." But the stern porter answer gave, With 'Get thee hence, thou strolling knave! The king wants soldiers; war, I trow, Were meeter trade for such as thou.' At this unkind reproof; again Answer'd the ready Minstrel's strain. Song resumed "Bid not me, in battle-field, Buckler lift, or broadsword wield! All my strength and all my art Is to touch the gentle heart, With the wizard notes that ring From the peaceful minstrel-string." The porter, all unmoved, replied, 'Depart in peace, with Heaven to guide; If longer by the gate thou dwell, Trust me, thou shalt not part so well.'
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Text Authorship:
- by Walter Scott, Sir (1771 - 1832), no title, appears in Rokeby, Canto V, section VII [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):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Auguste-Jean-Baptiste Defauconpret (1767 - 1843) , no title, appears in Rokeby, Canto V, number VII ; composed by Charles-Léon Hess.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2019-11-18
Line count: 30
Word count: 171
Pendant leur paisible entretien, un bruit inattendu vint ébranler la première porte du château, et avant que le concierge, dont la vieillesse ralentissait les pas, eût fait les questions d'usage, on entendit les préludes d'une harpe ; bientôt une voix mâle, mais douce, se maria aux sons de l'instrument harmonieux : CHANSON La lune [règne]1 à l'horizon Mais de vapeurs elle est voilée ; Il est nuit, et dans le vallon Il tombe une froide rosée : Daignez donner dans ce séjour Un humble asile au troubadour. Mais le portier sévère répondit : -- Éloigne-toi, chanteur vagabond ; le roi a besoin de soldats ; il vaudrait mieux pour toi aller le servir à la guerre, que de faire le lâche métier que tu exerces. A ce reproche peu encourageant le ménestrel répondit comme s'il s'y était attendu : Ne dites pas qu'au champ d'honneur Je devrais m'armer de la lance ; Je ne sais que toucher le cœur En chantant plaintive romance : Hymne de gloire ou chant d'amour, Voilà tout l'art du troubadour. Le vieillard, toujours inflexible, l'interrompit encore : -- Éloigne-toi, lui dit-il ; va-t-en à la garde du ciel ; et, si tu demeures plus longtemps à la porte de ce château, crois-moi, je pourrai t'en faire repentir.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Œuvres de Walter Scott. Traduction Defauconpret. Romans poétiques Tome II, Paris, Furne -- Pagnerre -- Perrotin, 1862, pages 71-72. This is a prose translation, to which we've added line breaks. The troubadour's song appears in stanza form and appears to be a very loose translation of the original English.
1 Hess: "brille"; further changes may exist not shown above.Text Authorship:
- by Auguste-Jean-Baptiste Defauconpret (1767 - 1843), no title, appears in Rokeby, Canto V, number VII [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Walter Scott, Sir (1771 - 1832), no title, appears in Rokeby, Canto V, section VII
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Charles-Léon Hess (1844 - 1926), "Sérénade du troubadour", published 1878-1879 [ medium voice and piano ], in Journal du Musique [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2019-11-18
Line count: 29
Word count: 198