by Catulle Mendès (1841 - 1909)
Translation by Alice Christina Meynell (1847 - 1922)
L'heureux vagabond
Language: French (Français)
Our translations: ENG
Je m'en vais par les chemins, lirelin, et la plaine, Dans mon sac j'ai du pain blanc, lirelan, et trois écus dans ma poche; J'ai dans mon coeur fleuri, (chante, rossignol, chante si je ris!) j'ai dans mon coeur joli, lireli, ma mie! Un pauvre sur le chemin, lirelin, un pauvre homme, m'a demandé mon pain blanc, lirelan. "Pauvre, prends toute la miche! J'ai dans mon coeur fleuri (chante, rossignol, chante si je ris!) j'ai dans mon coeur joli, lireli, ma mie!" Un voleur sur le chemin, lirelin, un voleur dans ma poche m'a volé mes trois écus, lirelu. "Voleur, prends la poche aussi! J'ai dans mon coeur fleuri (chante, rossignol, chante si je ris!) j'ai dans mon coeur joli, lireli, ma mie!" Je m'en vais mourir de faim, lirelin, dans la plaine. Plus de pain blanc ni d'écus, lirelu. Mais qu'importe si, toujours j'ai dans mon coeur pleurant, (chante, rossignol, chante en soupirant!) j'ai dans mon coeur mourant, lirelan, ma mie!
Text Authorship:
- by Catulle Mendès (1841 - 1909), "L'heureux vagabond", written 1892?, appears in Lieds de France, no. 21, Éd. Marpon & Flammarion, first published 1892 [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 Louis-Charles-Bonaventure-Alfred Bruneau (1857 - 1934), "L'heureux vagabond", 1892?, published 1892 [ voice and piano ], from Dix Lieds de France, no. 5, Paris, Éd. Choudens [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Alice Christina Meynell (1847 - 1922) , "The Joyous Wanderer", appears in Later Poems, first published 1913 ; composed by Edward Horsman.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Garrett Medlock) , "L'heureux vagabond", copyright © 2019, (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: 28
Word count: 162
The joyous wanderer
Language: English after the French (Français)
I go by road, I go by street --
Lira, la, la!
O white highways, ye know my feet!
A loaf I carry and, all told,
Three broad bits of lucky gold --
Lira, la, la!
And O within my flowering heart,
(Sing, dear nightingale!) is my Sweet.
A poor man met me and begged for bread --
Lira, la, la!
"Brother, take all the loaf," I said,
I shall but go with lighter cheer --
Lira, la, la!
And O within my flowering heart
(Sing, sweet nightingale!) is my Dear.
A thief I met on the lonely way --
Lira, la, la!
He took my gold; I cried to him, "Stay!
And take my pocket and make an end."
Lira, la la!
And O within my flowering heart
(Sing, soft nightingale!) is my Friend.
Now on the plain I have met with death --
Lira, la, la!
My bread is gone, my gold, my breath.
But O this heart is not afraid --
Lira, la, la!
For O within this lonely heart
(Sing, sad nightingale!) is my Maid.
Text Authorship:
- by Alice Christina Meynell (1847 - 1922), "The Joyous Wanderer", appears in Later Poems, first published 1913 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Catulle Mendès (1841 - 1909), "L'heureux vagabond", written 1892?, appears in Lieds de France, no. 21, Éd. Marpon & Flammarion, first published 1892
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Edward Horsman (1873 - 1918), "The joyous wanderer", published <<1940 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-01-13
Line count: 29
Word count: 172