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La belle se siet au piet de la tour, Qui pleure et souspire et mainne grant doulour. Son pere lui demande: «Fille qu'avez vous? Volez vous mari, ou volez vous seignour?» «Je ne veul mari, je ne veul seignour; Je veul le mien ami, qui pourist en la tour.» «Et par Dieu, belle fille, a celui faudrés vous, Car il sara pendu demain au point du jour.» «Et pere, s'on le pent, enfouyés moy desous, Si diront les gens: vecy loyaus amours.»
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [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 Guillaume Dufay (c1400 - 1474), "La belle se siet au piet de la tour" [text verified 1 time]
- by Josquin des Prez (c1440 - 1521), "La belle se siet" [text verified 1 time]
Set in a modified version by Francis Poulenc.
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , title 1: "The beautiful lady sits at the foot of the tower", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Alberto Pedrotti
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 10
Word count: 82
The beautiful lady sits at the foot of the tower, Weeping and sighing, and is very sad. Her father asks her, "Daughter, what's wrong? Do you want a husband, or do you want a Lord?" "I don't want a husband, I don't want a Lord, I want my own love, who is rotting in the tower." "By God, fair daughter, you won't get him, For he will be hung tomorrow at dawn." "Wee father, if they hang him, bury me next to him, So people will say: here is true love."
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.
Contact:
- a text in French (Français) by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist
This text was added to the website: 2012-05-22
Line count: 10
Word count: 91