A la porte Occidentale de la ville, 
rient des jeunes filles 
onduleuses et légères 
comme de nuages de printemps. 
Mais je dédaigne leur charme,
puisque, dans sa robe blanche, 
et sous son voile épais,
mon amie est plus gracieuse. 

A la porte Orientale de la ville, 
rêvent des jeunes filles 
éclatantes et jolies 
comme des fleurs de printemps. 
Mais je dédaigne leurs parfums, 
puisque, dans sa robe blanche 
et sous son voile épais, 
mon amie est plus odorante !

Confirmed with Franz Toussaint, La flûte de jade : poésies chinoises, Paris: H. Piazza, 1920, pages 2-3.

Note: the original Chinese poem is attributed to Tsao Chang Ling, an 18th century author, but a similar translation by Thalasso attributes its original Chinese poem to an anonymous ancient poet included in the Chi-King.

Text Authorship:

• by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955), "Mon amie", appears in La flûte de jade, Paris, Éd. H. Piazza, first published 1920 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

• a text in Chinese (中文) by Tsao Chang Ling (1719 - 1763) [text unavailable]
  • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

• by Julián Bautista (1901 - 1961), "Mon amie", op. 2 no. 3 (1921) [ voice and piano ], from La flûte de jade, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Marguerite Béclard d'Harcourt (1884 - 1964), "Mon amie", published 1929 [ medium voice and piano ], from La flûte de jade, no. 1, Paris, Max Eschig [sung text not yet checked]
• by Louis Delune (1876 - 1940), "Mon amie", 1922, published 1924 [ medium voice, piano, flute ad libitum ], from Le Collier des offrandes, six poèmes lyriques d'après des poésies chinoises, no. 5, Paris, Éditions Hérelle, Fortemps, & Cie [sung text not yet checked]

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

• ENG English (Grant Hicks) , "My Love", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Grant Hicks [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2014-06-08
Line count: 16
Word count: 78

At the Western gate of the city,
maidens laugh,
as light and billowy
as Spring clouds.
But I scorn their charms,
for, in her white robe
and behind her thick veil,
my love is more graceful.

At the Eastern gate of the city,
maidens dream,
as lovely and radiant
as Spring flowers.
But I scorn their scents,
for, in her white robe
and behind her thick veil,
my love is more fragrant!