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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Translation Singable translation by Johann Daniel Anton (1801 - 1853)

Un vieux pêcheur de Pise
Language: French (Français) 
Un vieux pêcheur de Pise
sa guitare à la main,
gondolier de Venise
répetait ce refrain :
Sur l'onde et dans la vie
que d'écueils chaque jour
imprudent qui se fie
à la mer, à l'amour.

Sur l'onde errant sans cesse 
l'orage me surprit
cent fois de ma tendresse
mainte belle se rit.
Sur l'onde et dans la vie
que d'écueils chaque jour
imprudent qui se fie
à la mer, à l'amour.

Mais ce n'est qu'à mon age
qu'on perd l'illusion,
il faut pour être sage
acheter la raison.
Jusques là dans la vie
jouissez chaque jour,
trop heureux qui se fie
à la mer, à l'amour.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [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 Zofia Chodkiewicz (1803 - 1871), "Le Vieux gondolier" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Charles François Plantade (1787 - 1870), "Le vieux pêcheur de Pise", also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Johann Daniel Anton (1801 - 1853) ; composed by Charles François Plantade.
    • Go to the text.

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler , Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-03-17
Line count: 24
Word count: 106

Der alte Schiffer von Pisa
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the French (Français) 
Der Schiffer, der ergraute,
fuhr den Arm entlang,
und zu dem Klang der Laute
dieses Liedchen er sang:
Auf Wogen wie im Leben
stürmet oft Gefahr einher;
wer man sein Hoffen geben
so der Liebe, dem Meer?

Ich habe Sturmeswüten
bestanden tausendmal,
und meiner Liebe Blüten
hat belohnt sie mit Qual.
Auf Wogen wie im Leben
stürmet oft Gefahr einher;
wer man sein Hoffen geben
so der Liebe, dem Meer?

Doch nur in meinen Jahren
verliert die Täuschung man,
durch Schaden nur erfahren
des Lebens Weisheit man kann.
D'rum nützt das kurze Leben,
und kein Tag sei freudeleer;
Vertrauen mögt ihr geben
so der Liebe, dem Meer!

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation by Johann Daniel Anton (1801 - 1853) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in French (Français) by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist
    • Go to the text page.

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 François Plantade (1787 - 1870), "Der alte Schiffer von Pisa", also set in French (Français) [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this page: Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2026-03-17
Line count: 24
Word count: 107

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