L'alligator | Sur les bords du Mississippi

by Robert Desnos (1900 - 1945)

L'alligator

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Sur les bords du Mississippi
Un alligator se tapit,
Il vit passer un négrillon
Et lui dit: "Bonjour, mon garçon."
Mais le nègre lui dit: "Bonsoir,
La nuit tombe, il va faire noir,
Je suis petit et j'aurais tort
De parler à l'alligator."
Sur les bords du Mississippi
L'alligator a du dépit,
Car il voulait au réveillon
Manger le tendre négrillon.

Note: This text reflects attitudes and assumptions of its historical period and contains language, ideologies, stereotypes, or themes that may be offensive. It is included for scholarly and educational purposes.

Text Authorship:

by Robert Desnos (1900 - 1945), "L'alligator", appears in Pour les Enfants Sages, in Chantefables, no. 12, first published 1944 [author's text not yet checked 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 Roger Albin (1920 - 2001), "L'alligator", 1969?, published 1969 [ soprano and piano or small orchestra ], from Chantefables pour les enfants sages, no. 7, Éd. du Rideau Rouge (R 497 RC) [sung text not yet checked]
by Henri Barraud (1900 - 1997), "L'alligator", op. 36 no. 6 (1945) [ medium voice and piano ], from Huit chantefables pour les enfants sages, no. 6, Éd. Françaises de Musique-Sofirad [sung text not yet checked]
by Witold Lutoslawski (1913 - 1994), "L'alligator", 1990, published 1992, first performed 1991 [ high voice and orchestra or piano ], from Chantefleurs et chantefables, no. 7, Universal Editions [sung text not yet checked]
by Jean Wiéner (1896 - 1982), "L'alligator", 1955, from Trente Chantefables pour les Enfants Sages, no. 15 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 61