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Three Songs of 1916
Translations © by Shawn Thuris
Song Cycle by Alfred Erik Leslie Satie (1866 - 1925)
View original-language texts alone: Trois Mélodies de 1916
La grenouille
Du jeu de tonneau
S'ennuie, le soir, sous la tonnelle...
Elle en a assez!
D'être la statue
Qui [hurle en silence]1 un grand mot: Le Mot!
Elle aimerait mieux être avec les autres
Qui font des bulles de musique
Avec le savon de la lune
Au bord du lavoir mordoré
Qu'on voit, là-bas, luire entre les branches...
On lui lance à coeur de journée
Une pâture de pistoles
Qui la traversent sans lui profiter
Et s'en vont sonner
Dans les cabinets
De son piédestal numéroté!
Et le soir, les insectes couchent
Dans sa bouche...
[ ... ]
Authorship:
- by Léon-Paul Fargue (1876 - 1947), "La statue de bronze"
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Shawn Thuris) , "The bronze statue", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
1 Satie: "va prononcer"
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Dr Melissa Givens [Guest Editor]
The frog
Of the barrel game
Grows weary at evening, beneath the arbor...
She has had enough!
Of being the statue
Who is about to [hurl into the silence]1 a great word: The Word!
She would love to be with the others
Who make music bubbles
With the soap of the moon
Beside the lustrous bronze tub
That one sees there, shining between the branches...
At midday one hurls at her
A feast of discs
That pass through without benefit to her
And will resound
In the chambers
Of her numbered pedestal!
And at night, the insects go to sleep
In her mouth...
[ ... ]
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © by Shawn Thuris, (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 Léon-Paul Fargue (1876 - 1947), "La statue de bronze"
Go to the single-text view
View original text (without footnotes)1 Satie: "pronounce"
2 A translation for the part of the poem not set by Satie has been provided by Melissa Givens:
But she is riveted to her column, Open to love, open to the dentist's forceps, Towards the moon that suffers, at the turn of the path, An overdose of thermogenic cotton*... In the distance a scatterbrain seeks something That he lost in the reeds And awakens at the bottom of the pond The black beetle in its water tower ... My sad childhood, on the lookout for diversions, At evening went to see you gaping, Ready to listen to you, at the edge of your tears, Gobbler of cloudy skies, and of blame, Like me, poet, in my orchard ...* Note (provided by Melissa Givens): A then new-fangled improvement on the mustard poultice, very much like the Salonpas and Tiger Balm heat patches we have now.
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 22
Word count: 106
Dis-moi, Daphénéo, quel est donc cet arbre Dont les fruits sont des oiseaux qui pleurent? Cet arbre, Chrysaline, est un oisetier. Ah! Je croyais que les noisetiers Donnaient des noisettes, Daphénéo. Oui, Chrysaline, les noisetiers donnent des noisettes, Mais les oisetiers donnent des oiseaux qui pleurent. Ah!...
Authorship:
- by Mimi Godebska (1899 - 1949), as M. God
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Shawn Thuris) , "Dapheneo", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Tell me, Dapheneo, what is that tree The fruit of which is weeping birds? That tree, Chrysaline, is a bird-tree. Ah! I believe that trees Produce hazelnuts, Dapheneo. Yes, Chrysaline, trees give hazelnuts, But bird-trees give weeping birds. Ah!...
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © by Shawn Thuris, (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 Mimi Godebska (1899 - 1949), as M. God
Go to the single-text view
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 40
Le chapelier s'étonne de constater Que sa montre retarde de trois jours, Bien qu'il ait eu soin de la graisser Toujours avec du beurre de première qualité. Mais il a laissé tomber des miettes De pain dans les rouages, Et il a beau plonger sa montre dans le thé, Ça ne le fera pas avancer davantage.
Authorship:
- by René Chalupt (1885 - 1957)
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Shawn Thuris) , "The hatmaker", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada and the U.S., but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]The hatmaker is surprised to note That his watch is three days slow, Though he has taken care to grease it, Always with first-quality butter. But he allowed crumbs of bread To fall into its gears, And though he plunged his watch in tea, This will not advance it any further.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © by Shawn Thuris, (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 René Chalupt (1885 - 1957)
Go to the single-text view
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 52