by Jean-Baptiste Pocquelin (1622 - 1673), as Molière
Translation by Charles Heron Wall (1836 - 1905)
Votre prudence est endormie
Language: French (Français)
Votre prudence est endormie, De traiter magnifiquement, Et de loger superbement Votre plus cruelle ennemie. Faites-la sortir, quoi qu’on die, De votre riche appartement, Où cette ingrate insolemment Attaque votre belle vie. Quoi ! sans respecter votre rang, Elle se prend à votre sang, Et nuit et jour vous fait outrage ! Si vous la conduisez aux bains, Sans la marchander davantage, Noyez-la de vos propres mains.
About the headline (FAQ)
Note: this sonnet is spoken by the character Trissotin. It does not appear all at once.Text Authorship:
- by Jean-Baptiste Pocquelin (1622 - 1673), as Molière, no title, appears in Les femmes savantes, Act III, Scene 3 [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 René-Félix Brancour (1862 - 1948), "Sonnet de Trissotin sur la fièvre qui tient la Princesse Uranie", 1922, published 1922 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Charles Heron Wall)
- ENG English (Richard Wilbur) , copyright ©
- RUS Russian (Русский) (Dmitry Dmitrievich Minaev) , "Сонетъ принцессѣ Ураніи на ея лихорадку"
- RUS Russian (Русский) (Nikolai Apollinarievich Bryansky) , "Сонет принцессе Урании на ее лихорадку"
- RUS Russian (Русский) (Margarita Marianovna Tumpovskaya) , "Сонет принцессе Урании на ее лихорадку"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2017-01-24
Line count: 14
Word count: 65
Your prudence fast in sleep's repose
Language: English after the French (Français)
Your prudence fast in sleep's repose
Is plunged; if thus superbly kind,
A lodging gorgeously you can find
For the most cruel of your foes--
Will she, nill she, quick, out she goes!
From your apartment richly lined,
Where that ingrate's outrageous mind
At your fair life her javelin throws.
What! without heed for your high line,
She saps your blood with care malign...
Redoubling outrage night and day!
If to the bath you take her down,
Without a moment's haggling, pray,
With your own hands the miscreant drown.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Jean-Baptiste Pocquelin (1622 - 1673), as Molière, no title, appears in Les femmes savantes, Act III, Scene 3
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2026-04-30
Line count: 14
Word count: 90