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by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896)
Translation © by Peter Low
Tournez, tournez, bons chevaux de bois
Language: French (Français)
Our translations: ENG
Tournez, tournez, bons chevaux de bois, Tournez cent tours, tournez mille tours, Tournez souvent et tournez toujours, Tournez, tournez au son des hautbois. Le gros soldat, la plus grosse bonne Sont sur vos dos comme dans leur chambre ; Car, en ce jour, au bois de la Cambre, Les maîtres sont tous deux en personne. Tournez, tournez, chevaux de leur cœur, Tandis qu'autour de tous vos tournois Clignote l'œil du filou sournois, Tournez au son du piston vainqueur. C'est ravissant comme ça vous soûle D'aller ainsi dans ce cirque bête ! Bien dans le ventre et mal dans la tête, Du mal en masse et du bien en foule. Tournez, tournez, sans qu'il soit besoin D'user jamais de nuls éperons Pour commander à vos galops ronds, Tournez, tournez, sans espoir de foin Et dépêchez, chevaux de leur âme : Déjà voici que la nuit qui tombe Va réunir pigeon et colombe, Loin de la foire et loin de madame. Tournez, tournez ! le ciel en velours D'astres en or se vêt lentement. Voici partir l'amante et l'amant. Tournez au son joyeux des tambours !
About the headline (FAQ)
See also the very similar "Tournez, tournez, bon chevaux de bois" from SagesseText Authorship:
- by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), "Chevaux de bois", appears in Romances sans paroles, in Paysages belges, in 3. Bruxelles, first published 1872 [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 Jacques Beers (1902 - 1947), "Chevaux de bois", published 1943 [ voice and piano ], from Six chants de Paul Verlaine, no. 3, Amsterdam, Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Bonneau (1918 - 1995), "Chevaux de bois", published 1955 [ voice and piano ], from Six poésies de Paul Verlaine, no. 4, Paris, S.E.M.I. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gustave Charpentier (1860 - 1956), "Les chevaux de bois", 1893, published 1894 [ voice and orchestra ], from Poèmes chantés, no. 15, Paris, Tellier ; also arranged for voice and piano in 1895 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henri-Jean Clavié (1865 - 1945), "Chevaux de bois ", published [1923] [ voice and piano ], Paris, H. Clavié ; note: may be the wrong text for this title - see footnote above [sung text not yet checked]
- by Claude Achille Debussy (1862 - 1918), "Chevaux de bois" [ voice and piano ], unpublished ; first version [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gabriel-André Fabre (1858 - 1921), "Chevaux de bois", published 1901 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Lemoine ; adaptation of a prelude by J. S. Bach [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Fiévet (1892 - 1980), "Chevaux de bois", published 1926 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Deiss et Crépin [sung text not yet checked]
- by Micheline Fleurant-Lagier , "Chevaux de bois", published 1974 [ voice and piano ], from Mes premières chansons I, no. 1, Paris, Lemoine [sung text not yet checked]
- by Emmanuel Hieaux (b. 1958), "Tournez, tournez, bons chevaux de bois", 2014 [ soprano and piano ], from Quatre impressions rehaussées de deuil, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Kees Kef (1894 - 1961), "Cheveaux de bois", published 1967 [ medium voice and piano ], from Quatre chansons, no. 4, Amsterdam, Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
- by Georges (Jerzy) Nawrocki , "Chevaux de bois", <<1971 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gil Plechoyano , "Chevaux de bois", published 1930 [ voice and piano ], from Deux mélodies, no. 2, Paris, Hamelle [sung text not yet checked]
- by Fernand Quinet (1898 - 1971), "Paysages belges. Chevaux de bois", published 1917 [ voice and piano ], Bruxelles, L'Art belge [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Erhard de Sivry, dit Louis de Sivry (1848 - 1900), "Chevaux de bois " [ voice and piano ], note: may be the wrong text for this title - see footnote above [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jacques Soulacroix (1863 - 1937), "Chevaux de bois", published 1922 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Hayet [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Sturzenegger (1905 - 1976), "Toccata", 1928-30 [ bass and violoncello ], from Suite, no. 2, unpublished [sung text not yet checked]
- by Georges Van Heesbeke , "Le cheval de bois " [ voice and piano ], note: may be the wrong text for this title - see footnote above [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henri Vasseur (1886 - 1945), "Cheval de bois" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Peter Low) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2012-02-04
Line count: 28
Word count: 179
Turn, turn, good wooden horses
Language: English after the French (Français)
Turn, turn, good wooden horses a hundred times, a thousand times, turn often and keep on turning round and round to the oboes' sound. The plump soldier and the plumper housemaid ride on your backs as if totally at home; for on this day, in this Brussels park, they both are masters here in person. Circle, circle, horses of their hearts, while with every circuit of your turning game the shifty rogue is eyeing you, turn to the sound of the victorious cornet. It's thrilling how it intoxicates you to circle thus in this stupid circus! with happy bellies and aching heads, a mass of aches and a heap of happiness. Turn, turn without any need for the use of any kind of spur to prod you to do more galloping circuits, turn, turn with no hope of hay. And hurry now, you horses of their souls: the night which is falling here already, will bring together pigeon and dove far from the fairground and far from Madame. Turn, turn! the velvety sky is slowly being clothed in golden stars. Now they depart, the sweetheart and the lover. Turn to the joyful sound of drums!
About the headline (FAQ)
Translation of title "Chevaux de bois" = "Wooden horses"Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2022 by Peter Low, (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 Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), "Chevaux de bois", appears in Romances sans paroles, in Paysages belges, in 3. Bruxelles, first published 1872
This text was added to the website: 2022-04-22
Line count: 28
Word count: 195