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Par les portes d'Orkenise Veut entrer un charretier. Par les portes d'Orkenise Veut sortir un va-nu-pieds. Et les gardes de la ville Courant sus au va-nu-pieds : « Qu'emportes-tu de la ville ?» « J'y laisse mon coeur entier. » Et les gardes de la ville Courant sus au charretier: « Qu'apportes-tu dans la ville ?» « Mon cœur pour me marier.» Que de cœurs dans Orkenise ! Les gardes riaient, riaient, Va-nu-pieds, la route est grise, L'amour grise, ô charretier. Les beaux gardes de la ville Tricotaient superbement ; Puis les portes de la ville Se fermèrent lentement.
R. Caby sets stanzas 1-3
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, no title, written 1908, appears in L'enchanteur pourrissant, in Onirocritique [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 Robert Caby (1905 - 1992), "Par les portes d'Orkenise", 1945, published 1957, stanzas 1-3 [ voice and piano ], Éd. Enoch [sung text not yet checked]
- by Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963), "Chanson d'Orkenise", FP 107 no. 1 (1940), published 1941 [ medium voice and piano ], from Banalités, no. 1, Éd. Max Eschig [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Peter Low) , "Song of Orkenise", copyright © 2001, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 96
Through the gates of Orkenise a carter wants to enter. Through the gates of Orkenise a tramp wants to leave. And the sentries of the town, rush up to the tramp and ask: "What are you taking out of the town?" - "I'm leaving my whole heart behind." And the sentries of the town, rush up to the carter and ask: "What are you bringing into the town?" - "My heart: I'm getting married." What a lot of hearts in Orkenise! The sentries laughed and laughed. Oh tramp, the road is dreary; oh carter, love is heady. The handsome sentries of the town knitted superbly; Then the gates of the town slowly swung shut.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2001 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.
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, no title, written 1908, appears in L'enchanteur pourrissant, in Onirocritique
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 112