by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896)
Tournez, tournez, bons chevaux de bois
Language: French (Français)
Our translations: ENG
Tournez, tournez, bons chevaux de bois, Tournez cent tours, tournez mille tours, Tournez souvent et tournez toujours, Tournez, tournez au son des hautbois. Le gros soldat, la plus grosse bonne Sont sur vos dos comme dans leur chambre ; Car, en ce jour, au bois de la Cambre, Les maîtres sont tous deux en personne. Tournez, tournez, chevaux de leur cœur, Tandis qu'autour de tous vos tournois Clignote l'œil du filou sournois, Tournez au son du piston vainqueur. C'est ravissant comme ça vous soûle D'aller ainsi dans ce cirque bête ! Bien dans le ventre et mal dans la tête, Du mal en masse et du bien en foule. Tournez, tournez, sans qu'il soit besoin D'user jamais de nuls éperons Pour commander à vos galops ronds, Tournez, tournez, sans espoir de foin Et dépêchez, chevaux de leur âme : Déjà voici que la nuit qui tombe Va réunir pigeon et colombe, Loin de la foire et loin de madame. Tournez, tournez ! le ciel en velours D'astres en or se vêt lentement. Voici partir l'amante et l'amant. Tournez au son joyeux des tambours !
About the headline (FAQ)
See also the very similar "Tournez, tournez, bon chevaux de bois" from SagesseText Authorship:
- by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), "Chevaux de bois", appears in Romances sans paroles, in Paysages belges, in 3. Bruxelles, first published 1872 [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 Jacques Beers (1902 - 1947), "Chevaux de bois", published 1943 [ voice and piano ], from Six chants de Paul Verlaine, no. 3, Amsterdam, Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Bonneau (1918 - 1995), "Chevaux de bois", published 1955 [ voice and piano ], from Six poésies de Paul Verlaine, no. 4, Paris, S.E.M.I. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gustave Charpentier (1860 - 1956), "Les chevaux de bois", 1893, published 1894 [ voice and orchestra ], from Poèmes chantés, no. 15, Paris, Tellier ; also arranged for voice and piano in 1895 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henri-Jean Clavié (1865 - 1945), "Chevaux de bois ", published [1923] [ voice and piano ], Paris, H. Clavié ; note: may be the wrong text for this title - see footnote above [sung text not yet checked]
- by Claude Achille Debussy (1862 - 1918), "Chevaux de bois" [ voice and piano ], unpublished ; first version [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gabriel-André Fabre (1858 - 1921), "Chevaux de bois", published 1901 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Lemoine ; adaptation of a prelude by J. S. Bach [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Fiévet (1892 - 1980), "Chevaux de bois", published 1926 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Deiss et Crépin [sung text not yet checked]
- by Micheline Fleurant-Lagier , "Chevaux de bois", published 1974 [ voice and piano ], from Mes premières chansons I, no. 1, Paris, Lemoine [sung text not yet checked]
- by Emmanuel Hieaux (b. 1958), "Tournez, tournez, bons chevaux de bois", 2014 [ soprano and piano ], from Quatre impressions rehaussées de deuil, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Kees Kef (1894 - 1961), "Cheveaux de bois", published 1967 [ medium voice and piano ], from Quatre chansons, no. 4, Amsterdam, Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
- by Georges (Jerzy) Nawrocki , "Chevaux de bois", <<1971 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gil Plechoyano , "Chevaux de bois", published 1930 [ voice and piano ], from Deux mélodies, no. 2, Paris, Hamelle [sung text not yet checked]
- by Fernand Quinet (1898 - 1971), "Paysages belges. Chevaux de bois", published 1917 [ voice and piano ], Bruxelles, L'Art belge [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Erhard de Sivry, dit Louis de Sivry (1848 - 1900), "Chevaux de bois " [ voice and piano ], note: may be the wrong text for this title - see footnote above [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jacques Soulacroix (1863 - 1937), "Chevaux de bois", published 1922 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Hayet [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Sturzenegger (1905 - 1976), "Toccata", 1928-30 [ bass and violoncello ], from Suite, no. 2, unpublished [sung text not yet checked]
- by Georges Van Heesbeke , "Le cheval de bois " [ voice and piano ], note: may be the wrong text for this title - see footnote above [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henri Vasseur (1886 - 1945), "Cheval de bois" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Peter Low) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2012-02-04
Line count: 28
Word count: 180