More information about "La rosée du joli mois de mai" / "La rousée du joly mois de may", Geoff's post, 2 posts above. Link to LA ROSÉE DU JOLI MOIS DE MAI posted above & Link to JOLI MOIS DE MAI posted above
LA ROSÉE DU JOLI MOIS DE MAI This piece was first written and composed by Jean Planson (c.1559 -c.1611). You'll find the original sheet music with score and lyrics at the BNF. The lines in italics in the text below don't show on it. The tune you can hear sung by The Toronto Consort, Angelo Branduardi among others is by Emmanuel Adrianssen (c. 1554-1604), a Flemish lutenist. It was published in "Pratum musicum…", you'll find a pdf copy of it there. The piece is #54 on page 134 of the pdf. The lyrics can also be found at the BNF in this 1600 book ("La fleur des chansons amoureuses où sont comprins tous les airs de court recueillis aux cabinets des plus rares poëtes de ce temps, A Rouen, chez Adrian de Launay, devant le Palais, au Compas d'Or -M.DC. Avec privilège du ROY" -yes, with this spelling!) Below are the lyrics in modern French spelling with a quite literal translation. Some French wordings feel clumsy, I suppose they feel even clumsier once translated. LA ROSÉE DU JOLI MOIS DE MAI
La rosée du joli mois de mai A mouillé ma mie et moi. Ce fut alors que l'aurore Commençait à se lever Qu'avec celle que j'adore M'en allais au bois jouer Dessus l'herbette perlée Au lieu le plus gracieux Sans crainte de la rosée Nous nous assîmes tous deux Où, au flair* des fleurs fleurantes Au chant de cent mille oiseaux Au doux bruit des eaux coulantes Je lui raconte mes maux Je lui conte le martyre Que j'ai souffert en l'aimant Elle m'écoutant, soupire Puis me conte son tourment. Ainsi qu'elle, je soupire Puis fondant tous deux en pleurs, Muets, nous ne pouvons dire Sinon, baisez-moi je meurs. Lors je l'accole et la serre, Elle m'embrasse et contraint Non moins fort que le lierre La muraille qui l'étreint. Un million lui en donne Pour son deuil récompenser Elle autant m'en abandonne Pour mon tourment effacer Mille baisers je lui pille Elle m'en dérobe autant Je lui en prête cent mille Elle les rend tout comptant. Folâtre ores je baisote Son sein beau et argentin Ores friand, je suçote La fraise de son tétin. Ha ! Mon mignon, ce dit-elle, C'est assez, vous avez tort, Et cependant, mon oreille, Elle baise et puis la mord. Ha ! Vous me mordez, mignarde, Lui dis-je, vous le paierez, Je sais bien que je vous garde Ça, ça vraiment vous l'aurez. Lors, je lui dis quelque chose, Mais quoi, je n'en dirai rien, Car de le dire je n'ose Et si vous m'entendez bien. Ô, trop heureuse journée Je ne voudrais être un roi, Et que si douce rosée N'eût mouillé ma mie et moi. Je ne voudrais un empire Échanger à mes amours : J'aime trop mieux pouvoir dire Maintenant et à toujours. * Variant: "En cueillant des fleurs fleurantes" (Picking fragrant flowers) THE DEW OF THE PRETTY MONTH OF MAY The dew of the pretty month of May Has made my sweetheart and me wet. It was when the dawn Started to rise That with the one I adore, I went to the wood to play On the beaded grass On the most gracious place, Without fearing the dew, The two of us sat. There, in the fragrance of fragrant flowers, In the singing of a hundred thousand birds, In the sweet noise of the flowing waters, I tell her my aches. I tell her the martyrdom I suffered through loving her, She, listening to me, sighs, Then tells me her torment. Like her, I sigh, Then, both bursting into tears, Dumb, we can only say, "Kiss me, I'm dying." Then I hug her and squeeze her, She embraces me and crushes me, Not less tight than the ivy Does the wall it clutches to. A million [kisses] I give her To reward her grief (lit. mourning) She abandons as many to me To erase my torment. I steal her a thousand kisses, She robs as many from me, I lend her a hundred thousand, She gives them back outright. Now, frisky, I kiss repeatedly Her beautiful and silver-white breast, Now, greedy, I suck The strawberry of her nipple. "Ha! Sweetheart", she says now, "It's enough, you're wrong," And nevertheless, she kisses My ear and then bites it. "Ha! You bite me, you cutie," I tell her, you'll pay for it, "I know that I keep you, That, that, for sure you'll get it."** Then, I tell her something, But what? I'll say nothing of it, For I don't dare to say it And yes, you do understand me. Oh, too happy day. I wouldn't want to be a king If such a sweet dew Wouldn't have moistened my sweetheart and me. I wouldn't want to exchange An empire for my love. I love much better to be able to say Now and forever. ** I take it to mean "I know that I keep you [I won't let you go], / That [the fact that you bit me], that [repeated], you'll get it ["it" = "my revenge"]. I don't think it means "I guard/watch you".
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