Lyr Req: C'est en Mai (In May)

Subject: Lyr Req: C'est en Mai (In May)
From: GUEST,Cyparissa
Date: 26 Apr 11 - 03:00 PM

Hello!

I've recently downloaded and loved the song C'est en Mai from the CD Love Burns in Me by Alva, sung by Vivien Ellis. It's a beautiful song, sung in French I believe (though I'm no expert), but I can't find the lyrics anywhere, let alone translations of the lyrics into English.

Can anyone help me? I'm a big fan of Alva, and attended one of Vivien's singing workshops some years ago, but can find basically no information on her music. Any tips for doing so would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Subject: Lyr Add: C'EST EN MAI AU MOIS D'ESTE
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 May 11 - 06:57 PM

This is a song from the 13th century, sometimes attributed to Thibaut de Blaison. Alva skips verse 2.

From Romances et Pastourelles Françaises by Karl Bartsch (Leipzig: F. C. W. Vogel, 1870), page 54:


C'est en mai au mois d'este
que florist flor,
que trestout cil oiselet
sont de nouvel ator,
dou douz chant des oiselons
li cuers m'esprent,
li rosignox m'i semont
que j'aime loiaument;
en cel lieu je m'endormi
moult tres simplement,
une pucelete i vint,
moult cortoisement
m'esgarda sanz mautalent.

Je la pris, si l'acolai
demaintenant,
l'acolai et la baisai
sans nul demorement;
le gieu d'amors li vueil faire
sanz nul arestement.
'sire, que voles vos faire?'
dist la pucelote,
'vos m'avrois encois done
ou sorcot ou cote,
et puis si avrois du vostre.'

Ele avoit les euz si vairz
come faucon,
et si avoit bele bouche
et bele facon;
ele avoit les euz rians,
le nes traitis,
sa facete vermeillete
come rosier floris.
nul charbon bien alume
n'est si espris
come je sui por celi
en qui je sui assis,
plus l'aim que tous mes amis.

Certes que quant la regart
il m'est avis,
el me semble molt bien faite
et de cors et de vis;
ele resemble a tous ceus
de paradis,
et pour ce la counois je
et en fes et en dis;
el me fait touz jors trenbler
et sospirer
et fremir a si grant tort,
mes cuers en ost a la mort.

Chanconete, tu iras
en mon pais
et si me diras a cele
qui m'a trais,
que j'amoie loiaument
et de bon cuer,
di li que l'amoie plus
que frere ne que suer,
et ele ne m'amoit pas
ne de moi n'ot pitie;
et s'el mi vousist amer,
moult en fusse lie,
mes max me fust alegie.


Here is the first stanza rendered into modern French:

C'est en mai au mois d'été
quand fleurit la fleur,
que tous les oiselets
sont dans leurs nouveaux atours,
Au doux chant des oisillons
mon cœur s'embrase;
le rossignol me pousse
à aimer loyalement.
En ce lieu je m'endormis
très simplement;
une petite demoiselle y vint,
toute courtoise,
qui me regarda sans mauvais vouloir.


Then into English:

It is in May, in the summer months
when the flower blooms,
that all the little birds
are in their new finery,
At the sweet song of chicks
my heart flares up;
the nightingale pushes me
to love faithfully.
In this place I fell asleep
very simply;
a young lady came there,
all courteous,
who looked at me with no ill-will.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: C'est en Mai (In May)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 May 11 - 08:30 PM

Any idea who composed the tune?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: C'est en Mai (In May)
From: Monique
Date: 02 May 11 - 05:40 AM

Warning: first, I never studied Old French (only Old Occitan, I'm sorry!) so this is from a native French speaker with an Old French dictionary; second: this is very literal, I never was a poet; third: my English is... what it is, I never was a native English speaker either. Any help welcome!

Now, just so you have a general idea of what it means, those are the verses that Jim didn't give...

I took her, embraced her
At once
Embraced her and kissed her
Without waiting.
I wanted to make the game of love to her
Without delay
"Sir, what do you want to do?"
Said the maiden
"You'd rather have given (?) me
Either dress or skirt
And then would (???) yours"

She had very green eyes
Like a hawk
And also had a beautiful mouth
And beautiful face/look (?)
She had cheerful/laughing eyes
A regular/nicely made nose,
Her little face (was) rosy
Like a blooming rosebush.
No blazing coal
Is as much in love
As I am with the one
In whom I've set my love upon,
I love her more than (I do) all my friends.

Sure that when I look at her
According to me/my opinion is (lit. it seems to me)
Her body and her face
Seem (to me) very well built
She looks like all those
In paradise (= she looks like an angel)
And I know her as such
In her actions and talks
She always makes me tremble
And sigh
And tremble/shiver so wrongly/in such a wrong way/torture(?)
My heart is fighting with Death/to death?

Ditty, you will go
To my country
And you will speak to the one
Who betrayed me,
Whom I love loyally
And with good heart,
Tell her that I love her more
Than brother or sister
And she doesn't love me
Nor does she have pity on me
And if she wanted to love me
I would be very happy
My sorrow/pain would be alleviated.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: C'est en Mai (In May)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 May 11 - 04:53 PM

I forgot to mention: you can hear Alva's performance of C'EST EN MAI (IN MAY) at MySpace.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: C'est en Mai (In May)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 02 May 11 - 10:33 PM

thanks for the link, Jim. I believe I'll make a MIDI of that.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: C'est en Mai (In May)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 03 May 11 - 10:15 AM

I've given up on the MIDI. The lines are so long and curly, I can't remember how they went when I go to enter the notes.

Maybe if I knew French...

If anybody knows where there are MIDI's or PDF's of music like this, I would appreciate the link(s).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: C'est en Mai (In May)
From: Monique
Date: 03 May 11 - 12:08 PM

Leeneia, maybe you could email the guy from this French site

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: C'est en Mai (In May)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 04 May 11 - 11:15 AM

Thank you for the link, Monique.