by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Mais qui pourroit estre celuy
Language: French (Français)
Mais qui pourroit estre celuy,
Qui me fait chercher mon oyseau?
Est-ce point ce meschant Daluy?
C'est un faux petit larronneau,
Il me fait a tous coups chercher
Tout cela gu'il me peut cacher.
Qui me la, Qui me la, Qui me la pris
Qui le remette ou il la pris.
Si mon gentil Francin sçavoit,
Qui m'a fait un si lache tour,
M'avoir prins ce qui nous avoit
Enflammé tout le coeur d'amour
Et qui nous a par ses doux chants
Retins cent fois emmy ces chams.
Qui me la, Qui me la, Qui me la pris
Qui le remette ou il la pris.
Helas mon Francin, mon mignon,
Je crain & me doute bien fort,
Que nostre petit compagnon
N'ait enduré un grand effort,
Car j'ay veu nostre gros chat roux,
Qui le guignoit a tous les coups'.
Qui me la, Qui me la, Qui me la pris
Qui le remette ou il la pris.
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):
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , title 1: "Oh who could this be", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: John Versmoren
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 157
Oh who could this be
Language: English after the French (Français)
Oh who could this be
Who makes me seek out my bird?
Surely not the wicked Daluy?
He's a false little trickster,
Who always makes me seek out for
Whatever I should be hiding.
Who took it, who took it,
Who will give back what he took.
If only my noble Francin knew
Who'd done me such a bad turn,
Taking from me what had enflamed
Both our hearts with love
And what had kept us 100 times
Shut up in this room with its singing.
Who took it, who took it,
Who will give back what he took.
Alas, my Francin, my sweetie,
I fear and very much think
That our little friend
Could not endure such a great struggle
Because I've seen that big red cat of ours
Who ogles it at every opportunity.
Who took it, who took it,
Who will give back what he took.
Translator's note: a slightly free translation to try to convey the double entendre...
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2012 by David Wyatt, (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:
This text was added to the website: 2012-05-18
Line count: 24
Word count: 149