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Au coin de l’âtre où je tisonne En rêvant à je ne sais quoi, Petit grillon, chante avec moi, Qui, déjà vieux, toujours chansonne. Petit grillon, n’ayons ici, N’ayons du monde aucun souci. Nos existences sont pareilles : Si l’enfant s’amuse à ta voix, Artisan, soldat, villageois, À la mienne ont charmé leurs veilles. Petit grillon, n’ayons ici, N’ayons du monde aucun souci. Mais sous ta forme hétéroclite Un lutin n’est-il pas caché ? Vient-il voir si quelque péché Tient compagnie au vieil ermite ? Petit grillon, n’ayons ici, N’ayons du monde aucun souci. N’es-tu pas sylphe et petit page De quelque fée au doux pouvoir, Qui t’adresse à moi pour savoir À quoi le cœur sert à mon âge ? Petit grillon, n’ayons ici, N’ayons du monde aucun souci. Non ; mais en toi, je le veux croire, Revit un auteur qui, jadis, Mourut de froid dans son taudis En guettant un rayon de gloire. Petit grillon, n’ayons ici, N’ayons du monde aucun souci. Docteur, tribun, homme de secte, On veut briller, l’auteur surtout. Dieu, servez chacun à son goût : De la gloire à ce pauvre insecte. Petit grillon, n’ayons ici, N’ayons du monde aucun souci. La gloire ! est fou qui la désire : Le sage en dédaigne le soin. Heureux qui recèle en un coin Sa foi, ses amours et sa lyre ! Petit grillon, n’ayons ici, N’ayons du monde aucun souci. L’envie est là qui nous menace. Guerre à tout nom qui retentit ! Au fait, plus ce globe est petit, Moins on y doit prendre de place. Petit grillon, n’ayons ici, N’ayons du monde aucun souci, Ah ! si tu fus ce que je pense, Ris du lot qui t’avait tenté ; Ce qu’on gagne en célébrité, On le perd en indépendance. Petit grillon, n’ayons ici, N’ayons du monde aucun souci. Au coin du feu, tous deux à l’aise, Chantant, l’un par l’autre égayés, Prions Dieu de vivre oubliés, Toi dans ton trou, moi sur ma chaise. Petit grillon, n’ayons ici, N’ayons du monde aucun souci.
J. Rameau sets stanzas 1, 4, 5, 10
Confirmed with Pierre-Jean de Béranger, Chansons de Béranger anciennes et posthumes, ed. Perrotin, Paris: Perrotin, 1866, pages 471-472.
Note (provided by Garrett Medlock): recordings exist of the Rameau setting that include stanzas 1, 4, 5, and 10 in various combinations, but he may have set more.
Authorship:
- by Pierre Jean de Béranger (1780 - 1857), "Le grillon" [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 Jean Philippe Rameau (1683 - 1764), "Le grillon", stanzas 1,4,5,10 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Garrett Medlock) , "The cricket", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: John Versmoren , Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 60
Word count: 342
At the corner of the fireplace, where I am stoking it, Dreaming of, I don't know what, Little cricket, sing with me, [I] who, already old, am always mocking. Little cricket, here let us not have, Let us not have one care in the world. [... ... ... ... ... ...] [... ... ... ... ... ...] Are you not a sylph and little page Of some fairy [with] gentle power Who sends you to me to know For what [my] heart serves [me] at my age? Little cricket, here let us not have, Let us not have one care in the world. No; but in you, I wish to believe, Lives again an author who once Died of cold in his hovel, Watching for one ray of glory. Little cricket, here let us not have, Let us not have one care in the world. [... ... ... ... ... ...] [... ... ... ... ... ...] [... ... ... ... ... ...] [... ... ... ... ... ...] At the corner of the fire, both of us at ease, Singing, one amused by the other, Let us pray to God to live forgotten, You in your hole, me in my chair. Little cricket, here let us not have, Let us not have one care in the world.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2020 by Garrett Medlock, (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 Pierre Jean de Béranger (1780 - 1857), "Le grillon"
This text was added to the website: 2020-03-23
Line count: 60
Word count: 218