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C'est un vieux conte de Bohême : Sur un violon, à minuit, Dans la lune un tsigane blême Joue en faisant si peu de bruit Que cette musique très tendre, Parmi les silences des bois, Jusqu'ici ne s'est fait entendre Qu'aux amoureux baissant la voix. Mon amour, l'heure est opportune : La lune argente le bois noir ; Viens écouter si dans la lune Le violon chante ce soir !
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Œuvres de Jean Lahor. L'illusion, Paris, Alphonse Lemerre, 1906, page 16.
Text Authorship:
- by Henri Cazalis (1840 - 1909), as Jean Lahor, "Le tsigane dans la lune", written 1875, appears in L'Illusion, in 1. Chants de l'Amour et de la Mort, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1875 [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 Andrée Marie Clémence Bonhomme (1905 - 1982), "Le tzigane dans la lune", op. 38 (1928) [ voice, violin and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Lucien Lambotte (1888 - 1969), "Le Tsigane dans la lune", published 1935 [ voice and piano ], from Six Mélodies sur des poèmes de Jean Lahor, no. 2, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Leduc [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jan Remmert Le Cosquino de Bussy (1889 - 1974), "Le tsigane dans la lune" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Léo Sachs (1856 - 1930), "Le Tzigane dans la lune", published 1920 [ high voice and piano ], from Douze Mélodies, no. 10, Paris, Éd. Maurice Senart [sung text not yet checked]
- by Guy Taillevent , "Le Tsigane dans la lune", published 1924 [ soprano and piano ], from Deux Impressions pour chant et piano, no. 1, Ricordi [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louis Vallini , "Le Tzigane dans la lune", published 1913 [ medium voice and piano ], Paris, Éd. Costallat et Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Rosalie Marie Wertheim (1888 - 1949), "Le tsigane dans la lune" [ high voice, piano, violin ], Amsterdam, Éd. G. Alsbach & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Clara Wildschut (1906 - 1950), "Le tsigane dans la lune", 1942 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Grant Hicks) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2018-12-06
Line count: 12
Word count: 66
It's an old Bohemian tale: On a violin, at midnight, In the moonlight a pale gypsy Plays, making so little noise That this most tender music, Amidst the silence of the woods, Until now has only been heard By lovers with hushed voices. My love, the hour is right: The moon coats the black wood in silver; Come hear if in the moonlight The violin is singing tonight!
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of titles:
"Le tsigane dans la lune" = "The Gypsy in the Moonlight"
"Le tzigane dans la lune" = "The Gypsy in the Moonlight"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2025 by Grant Hicks, (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.
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Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Henri Cazalis (1840 - 1909), as Jean Lahor, "Le tsigane dans la lune", written 1875, appears in L'Illusion, in 1. Chants de l'Amour et de la Mort, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1875
This text was added to the website: 2025-05-05
Line count: 12
Word count: 68