by
Jean Cocteau (1889 - 1963)
Le crabe sort sur ses pointes
Language: French (Français)
Le crabe sort sur ses pointes
Avec ses bras en corbeille;
Il sourit jusqu'aux oreilles.
La danseuse d'Opéra,
Au crabe toute pareille,
Sort dans la coulisse peinte
En arrondissant les bras.
About the headline (FAQ)
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Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Arthur Honegger (1892 - 1955), "Une danseuse", H. 51 no. 5 (1923), published 1924, from Six Poésies de Jean Cocteau, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Alfred Erik Leslie Satie (1866 - 1925), "Danseuse", 1920, published 1922 [ voice and piano ], from Quatre Petites Mélodies, no. 2, Éd. Max Eschig [sung text checked 1 time]
- by George Van Parys (1902 - 1971), "Une danseuse", 1953, published 1954, first performed 1953 [ medium voice and piano ], from Cinq Poèmes de Jean Cocteau, no. 3, Éd. Salabert [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Victoria de Menil) , "Crabs go out on their toes", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 7
Word count: 31
Crabs go out on their toes
Language: English after the French (Français)
Crabs go out on their toes
With their arms rounded
They smile from ear to ear
An opera dancer
Just like a crab
Goes out of the wings painted
Rounding her arms.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © by Victoria de Menil, (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 Jean Cocteau (1889 - 1963), "Une danseuse", written 1920, appears in Poésies 1917-1920, Paris, Éd. de la Sirène, first published 1920
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 7
Word count: 32