Sixteen years | See that I am sixteen years old

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by Louis Pomey (1835 - 1901)

Translation © by Barbara Miller

Seize ans

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Voici que j'ai seize ans,
On dit que je suis belle; 
Adieu, adieu, jeux innocents,
Le monde à lui m'appelle, 
Quelle ivresse dans tous mes sens!
Toujours fête nouvelle! 
J'entends, la nuit dans mon sommeil,
Chanter la valse que j'adore,
Et le matin, à mon réveil,
La valse chante encore.
Plus d'un amoureux 
M'a dit pour vous je soupire;
Mais l'oeil langoureux 
Et l'air piteux 
Me font rire. La la la la
Mais peut-être quelque jour; 
Triste et pleurant sur moi-même,
Faudra-t-il dire à mon tour. 
Vous qui m'aimez, je vous aime! 
Mais non, c'en est fait point d'amour!
La danse est ce que j'aime!

Text Authorship:

by Louis Pomey (1835 - 1901), "Seize ans" [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 Pauline Viardot-García (1821 - 1910), "Seize ans", VWV 4023 (1848) [ voice and piano ], from 12 Mazurkas for voice and piano, no. 1, note: an arrangement of Chopin's Mazurka #31 in A-flat major, op. 50 no. 2., also set in Polish (Polski), also set in Russian (Русский) [sung text checked 2 times]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in Polish (Polski), a translation by Jan Konstanty Chęciński (1826 - 1874) ; composed by Pauline Viardot-García.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Pauline Viardot-García.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]

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

ENG English (Barbara Miller) , "Sixteen years", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: John Versmoren

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 21
Word count: 105

Sixteen years

Language: English after the French (Français)

See that I am sixteen years old.
They say I am pretty;
Goodbye, goodbye, innocent games,
The world calls me to itself.
What intoxication in all my senses!
Always a new celebration!
I hear, at night in my sleep,
The singing of the waltz that I adore,
And the morning at my awakening,
The waltz still sings.
More than one lover
Said to me, for you, for you I sigh;
But the langorous eye and the pitiful air
Make me laugh. La la la.

But maybe someday,
Sad and crying over myself,
Will I have to say in my turn
You who love me, I love you!
But no...it's done, no love!
Dancing is what I love!

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2004 by Barbara Miller, (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 Louis Pomey (1835 - 1901), "Seize ans"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2004-04-21
Line count: 20
Word count: 117