Cuisse de femme est douce chose
Plus douce au toucher que velours soyeux
Et plus rose aux yeux
Que pétales de roses:
Cuisse de femme est douce chose.

Ni oreiller de duvet d'oie
Ni lit de laine molle garni,
Ni vieux fauteuil couvert de soie,
Ni chaise à porteurs d'autrefois,
Ni coussins de satin mauve,
Ni le trône du prince de Bohême,
Ni même,
Je crois,
Le carrosse de Louis Quatorze,
Ne valent si précieux nid :
Cuisse de femme est douce chose
Et tour à tour délice de pauvre
Ou joie de roi.

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Note: Klingsor's text begins "Cuisse de femme est douce chose"; Berthelot's version begins "Gorge de femme est douce chose".

Text Authorship:

• by Arthur Justin Léon Leclère (1874 - 1966), as Tristan Klingsor, "L'oreiller", written 1921?, appears in Humoresques, in 4. Chroniques du chaperon et de la braguette, no. 4, Amiens, Éd. E. Malfère, first published 1921 [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 Camille Henri Berthelot (1903 - 1999), "L'oreiller", published 1982 [ medium voice and piano ], from Chansons galantes et romanesques - 2ème cahier, no. 1, Éd. Henri Lemoine [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2014-06-12
Line count: 18
Word count: 93