The Bee | Tell me, gentle bee

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by Élie Cabrol (1829 - 1905)

Translation © by Amy Pfrimmer

L'abeille

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Dis-moi, gentille abeille,
où t'en vas-tu de si matin ?
Il fait nuit sombre et tout sommeille
Encore sur le coteau voisin.
Que cherches-tu ? Le miel ? Gourmande !
Ferme l'aile et repose-toi :
Tu le voles par contrebande!
J'en sais de meilleur, sur ma foi
Connaitrais-tu pas l'adorée
Qui règne à jamais sur mon cœur ?
Eh bien, sa bouche colorée
Est aussi fraîche qu'une fleur!
Et nul parfum, je le parie,
N'est aussi doux que le baiser
Des lèvresde ma blonde amie.
Si tu m'en crois, va t'y poser.

Text Authorship:

by Élie Cabrol (1829 - 1905) [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 Charles Marie Jean Albert Widor (1844 - 1937), "L'abeille", op. 14 no. 2 (1872) [ medium voice and piano ], from Quarante mélodies, no. 2, Éd. J. Hamelle [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Amy Pfrimmer) , "The Bee", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Jacques L'oiseleur des Longchamps

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-18
Line count: 16
Word count: 86

The Bee

Language: English after the French (Français)

Tell me, gentle bee, 
where are you going this morning?
It is dark and everything is still asleep 
on the nearby hillside.
What are you looking for? Honey? Greedy one! 
Close your wings and rest:
You steal it like a thief! 
Indeed, I know better! 
You would not know the adored one 
who reigns forever over my heart. 
Well, her red lips 
are fresh as a flower! 
And no perfume, I bet, 
is as sweet as the kiss 
of my blonde love’s lips.
If you believe me, go, and take your rest there.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2023 by Amy Pfrimmer, (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 Élie Cabrol (1829 - 1905)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2023-06-04
Line count: 16
Word count: 93