Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Ô ma belle maistresse ! à tous les moins prenez De moy [vostre servant]1 ce Rossignol en cage, Il est mon prissonnier, et je [vis]2 en servage Sous vous, qui sans mercy en prison me tenez : [Allez donc, Rossignol, en sa chambre, et]3 sonnez Mon dueil à son oreille avec vostre ramage, Et s'il vous est possible, émouvez son courage A me faire mercy puis vous en revenez : Non non, ne venez point, que feriez vous chez moy ? Sans aucun reconfort, vous languiriez d'esmoy, Un prisonnier ne peut un autre secourir. Je n'ay pas Rossignol sur vostre bien envie, Seulement je me hay et me plains de ma [vie Qui languit]4 en prison et [si n'y]5 peut mourir.
N. Millot sets stanza 1
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Pierre de Ronsard, Nouvelle Continuation des Amours (1556). Les Amours, Texte établi par Hugues Vaganay, Garnier, 1923.
1 Gouvy: "vostre esclave"; Millot: "notre servant"2 Millot: "suis"
3 Gouvy: "Allez, Rossignol, en sa chambre, beau rossignol, allez,"
4 Gouvy: "vie./ Je languist"
5 Boni: "si ne"; Gouvy: "je n'y"
Authorship:
- by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), no title, appears in Pièces retranchées, no. 29 [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 Guillaume Boni (c1530 - c1594), "Ô ma belle maistresse", published 1607 [ vocal quartet ], from Sonnets de Pierre de Ronsard mis en musique à 4 parties, II, no. 16, Paris, Pierre Ballard [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Louis Théodore Gouvy (1819 - 1898), "Le Rossignol", op. 42 (Six Poésies de Ronsard) no. 2, published 1876 [ voice and piano ], from 40 Poèmes de Ronsard, no. 11, Paris, Éd Simon Richault [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Nicolas Millot (d. c1590), "Ô ma belle maistresse", stanza 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), [adaptation] ; composed by Jean de Castro.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , "O my fair mistress", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: David Wyatt
This text was added to the website: 2012-07-26
Line count: 14
Word count: 121
O my fair mistress, whatever you do take From [me, your servant,]1 this nightingale in a cage; He is my prisoner, and I [live]2 in service [To]3 you who, without mercy, keep me in prison. On then, nightingale, and in her bedroom sing Warbling of my sorrow into her ear, And if you can, stir up her courage To grant me pity -- and then come back. No, do not come back, what would you do here with me? With no comfort you would pine away from your agitation; One prisoner cannot help another. I am not jealous, nightingale, about your good fortune, I just hate myself and bemoan my life Pining away in prison, and yet unable to die [there]4.
1 Millot: "me my servant"
2 Millot: "am"
3 Boni, Millot: "Under"
4 omitted by Boni
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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), no title, appears in Pièces retranchées, no. 29
This text was added to the website: 2012-07-26
Line count: 14
Word count: 120