Add/Origins: Au Claire de la Lune

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 04:16 PM

Slightly variant lyrics- that lead to the slightly less intriguing lyrics in Hollis Dann, 1916.

Au clair de la lune
Mon ami Pierrot
Prete-moi ta plume
Pour écrire un mot.
2
Ma chandelle est morte
Je n'ai plus de feu
Ouvre-moi ta porte
Pour l'amour de Dieu.
3
Au clair de la lune
Pierot repondit
Je n'ai pas de plume
Je suis dans mon lit.
4
Va chez la voisine
Je crois qu'e;;e y est
Car dans sa cuisine
On bat le briquet.

-------------------
Au clair de la lune
L'aimable Harlequin
Frappe chez la brune
Elle repond soudain.
2
Qui frappe de la sorte?
Il dit a son tour
Ouvrez votre porte
Pour le Dieu d'Amour.
3
Au clair de la lune
On n'y voit qu'un peu
On chercha la plume
On chercha du feu
4
En cherchant d'la sorte
Je ne sais qu'on trouva
Mais je sais que la porte
Sur eux se ferma.

English:
In the light of the moon, Pierrot, my friend
Loan me your pen to write something down
My candle's dead, I've got no flame to light it
Poen your door, for the love of God!
2
In the light of the moon, Pierrot replied
I don't have a pen, I'm in bed
Go to the neighbor's, I think she's there
Because someone just lit a match in the kitchen.
3
In the light of the moon, likeable Harlequin
Knocked on the brunette's door, and she responded at once
Who's knocking like that? And he replied
Open your door, for the God of Love!
4
In the light of the moon, you can barely see anything
Someone looked for a pen, someone looked for a flame
In all of that looking, I don't know what was found
But I do know that those two shut the door behind them.

http://worldmusic.about.com/od/instrumentation/a/AuClairdelaLune.htm
-----------------------------------

By the Light of the Moon
Adapted from the French

1
Moon is white as snow, dear,
Round and large and bright;
Where's your pen, Pierrot, dear?
I've a line to write.
Won't you bring a match, dear?
I must have a light.
Won't you lift the latch, dear?
Let me in tonight.
2
Though I'd not offend you,
I've no pen to lend,
So I'll have to send you
To my little friend;
She lives right below you;
I have gone to bed-
If she doesn't know you,
Tell her what I said.

With music, p. 30, Hollis Dann, 1916, Fourth Year Music, American Book Company, NY

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 10 Dec 02 - 05:22 AM

Four historic recordings of "Au clair de la lune" are HERE.

(1) Fernand Robidoux (1946, Bluebird 55-5235)

(2) Armand Gauthier & Paul Valade (1927, Columbia 34070)

(3) Blanche Archambault & Louis Chartier (1931, Melotone 18011)

(4) Eva Gauthier (1919, RCA Victor 72165)

~Masato

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 20 Oct 02 - 08:11 AM

According to Florece E. Brunnings' Folk Song Index (Garland), English titles include "At Pierrot's Door"; "By the Moon's Pale Light"; "By the Pale Moonlight"; "By the Shining Moonlight"; "Good Pierrot"; "Here Beneath the Bright Moon"; and "In the Gentle Moonlight". It is also the tune of "The Mad Mice" (Greek).

BY THE PALE MOONLIGHT and UNDERNEATH THE MOONLIGHT are in the DT & Forum (linked to at the top).

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 11:35 AM

Henri Davenson (Le Livre des Chansons, 1955) dismisses both the attribution of the words to Beffroy de Reigny and of the tune to Lully, and adds:

"Coirault tells us that this is a contredanse tune, which appeared around 1775-1780 and was known to begin with as La Rémouleuse (later Air du Gagne-petit or En roulant ma brouette."

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 11:09 AM

Au Clair de la Lune

The first known printing of the melody is in the 1811 edition of La Clé du Caveau (Paris). p. 22; BN and JF. Adrien Boieldieu's Les Voitures Versées, performed in St. Petersburg on April 26, 1808, included this melody to other words; as far as is known, the opera was first published about 1820 by Boieldieu Jeune, Paris, the year of its performance in that city--copy at NYPL (melody at p. 185). Ignaz Moscheles' Fantaisie et Variations on the melody, op. 50, were published by Schlesinger, Berlin, in 1821-1822, at LC; and Camille Pleyel's Variations on this air "Chantée dans l'Opéra des Voitures Versées" were published by Ignace Pleyel & Fils, Paris, probably about the same time, at BN.
The first known printing of the words (and the melody) is in Chants et Chansons Populaires de la France, Deuxième Série ([Paris], 1843), on an unnumbered page, the 33rd of 42 songs; BN, BM, LC, NYPL and JF; the Introduction states that this is the first publication of Au Clair de la Lune. It is likely that this general collection was originally published in separate installments commencing about Feb. 26, 1842, and Au Clair de la Lune may have therefore been first published in an earlier installment, but no copy of any such earlier installment has been found. See the only located separate issue at BN (Vmh 2640), particularly the back cover.
The song is sometimes said to have been composed by Lully, but no confirmation of this has been found. Simone Wallon, at BN, wrote the author that the melody is probably from the eighteenth century. Coirault says that the song was called (En) Roulant Ma Brouette in the last quarter d the eighteenth century, but the author has not been able to find a copy of this song under this title printed at any time.
(James J. Fuld, The Book of World-Famous Music, 4th ed., Dover, 1995, pp. 114-115)

Two recordings are at the Virtual Gramophone site [(2) has a different melody].

(1)
Performer: Eva Gauthier, mezzo-soprano with piano
Title: Au clair de la lune ; Il pleut, il pleut, bergere ; Promenade en bateau ; Fais dodo, Colas
Recorded: [21 Jun 1918] , [Camden, NJ] by Victor Talking Machine
Released [Jan 1919]

(2)
Performer: L. Loiseau
Title: Au clair de la lune
Recorded: Montreal QC by E. Berliner
Released [ca 26 oct 1904]

~Masato

Subject: Tune Add: AU CLAIR DE LA LUNE
From: alison
Date: 31 Jan 99 - 12:30 AM

MIDI file: AUCLAIRE.MID

Timebase: 480

Name: Au clair de la lune
TimeSig: 4/4 24 8
Key: G
Tempo: 170 (352941 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0000 1 67 034 0478 0 67 034 0002 1 67 042 0478 0 67 042 0002 1 67 028 0478 0 67 028 0002 1 69 042 0478 0 69 042 0002 1 71 030 0958 0 71 030 0002 1 69 050 0958 0 69 050 0002 1 67 034 0478 0 67 034 0002 1 71 029 0478 0 71 029 0002 1 69 029 0478 0 69 029 0002 1 69 029 0478 0 69 029 0002 1 67 029 1918 0 67 029 0002 1 67 029 0478 0 67 029 0002 1 67 021 0478 0 67 021 0002 1 67 025 0478 0 67 025 0002 1 69 030 0478 0 69 030 0002 1 71 025 0958 0 71 025 0002 1 69 036 0958 0 69 036 0002 1 67 038 0478 0 67 038 0002 1 71 035 0425 0 71 035 0051 1 69 033 0478 0 69 033 0052 1 69 023 0414 1 67 027 0020 0 69 023 1920 0 67 027 0000 1 69 029 0478 0 69 029 0002 1 69 036 0478 0 69 036 0002 1 69 052 0478 0 69 052 0002 1 69 040 0478 0 69 040 0002 1 64 036 0958 0 64 036 0002 1 64 033 0958 0 64 033 0002 1 69 041 0478 0 69 041 0002 1 67 038 0478 0 67 038 0002 1 66 035 0478 0 66 035 0002 1 64 042 0478 0 64 042 0002 1 62 032 1866 1 67 030 0048 0 62 032 0434 0 67 030 0052 1 67 033 0478 0 67 033 0002 1 67 037 0478 0 67 037 0002 1 69 032 0478 0 69 032 0002 1 71 024 0954 0 71 024 0052 1 69 037 0894 0 69 037 0020 1 67 029 0478 0 67 029 0002 1 71 029 0478 0 71 029 0002 1 69 033 0478 0 69 033 0002 1 69 034 0478 0 69 034 0002 1 67 029 1918 0 67 029
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:Au clair de la lune
M:4/4
Q:1/4=170
K:G
G2G2G2A2|B4A4|G2B2A2A2|G8|G2G2G2A2|B4A4|G2B2A9/4A7/4|
G8|A2A2A2A2|E4E4|A2G2F2E2|D31/4G/4|-G2G2G2A2|
B17/4A15/4|G2B2A2A2|G8||

Slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: Will (inactive)
Date: 25 Jan 99 - 09:57 PM

Aja: here are the words from my French-Canadian songbook:

1. Au clair de la lune, mon ami Pierrot /
Prete-moi ta plume, pour ecrire un mot. /
Ma chandelle est morte, je n'ai plus de feu, /
Ouvre-moi ta porte, pour l'amour de Dieu.

2. Au clair de la lune,Pierrot repondit: /
"Je n'ai pas de plume, je suis dans mon lit. /
Va chez la voisine, je crois qu'elle y est, /
Car dans la cuisine on bat le briquet."

3. Au clair de la lune, l'aimable Lubin /
Frappe chez la brune, ell' repond soudain: /
"Qui frapp' de la sorte." Il dit a son tour: /
"Ouvrez votre porte, pour le Dieu d'amour."

4. Au clair de la lune, on n'y voit qu'un peu. /
On cherche la plume, on cherche du feu. /
En cherchant d'la sorte, je n'sais c'qu'on trouva/
Mais je sais qu'la porte sur eux se r'ferma.

Add your own grave & acute accents! Dilys (@ Will's site)

Subject: RE: Au Claire De La Lune - Lyr Addn (new version)
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 13 Sep 97 - 03:19 PM

Pierrot and Harlequin are from the commedia dell'arte, but who is Lubin?

Subject: RE: Au Claire De La Lune - Lyr Addn (new version)
From: Shula
Date: 12 Sep 97 - 06:48 AM

Dear RS: Ashamed that I have not responded to this thread until now. Saw your comment at the end of the string on the French lyrics thread and felt entirely remiss. I had actually taken the liberty of adding this to my copy of the French songs from the DT, and was intending to send the whole thing back to Dick G. when I was done proofreading.

It isn't my discussion forum, but I should have shown a proper appreciation for your efforts before now, since I resurrected the French lyrics thread someone started last year, but quickly abandoned. It was, and still is , my hope to expand my own repertoire, as well as that of the DT, and to find other folkies who fancy songs in "La Belle Langue." Please allow me to apologise.

Very much appreciate the re-posting of the French songs site first given in July, since I only discovered the Mudcat in August and have not yet had the chance to read back through all the old threads. I have now been to this wonderful site and am excited to have found so much promising material. There are other good sites about as well, including the one Tim J. noted in the other thread.

Gratefully yours,

Shula

Subject: RE: Au Claire De La Lune - Lyr Addn (new version)
From: RS
Date: 06 Sep 97 - 05:18 PM

Yup, that's the way I wanted it to look! (more or less)

Subject: RE: Au Claire De La Lune - Lyr Addn (new version)
From: RS
Date: 06 Sep 97 - 05:17 PM

Well hopefully this will all come out right this time ... here we go ...

AU CLAIRE DE LA LUNE

Very slightly modified (mainly spelling) from Rise Up Singing - page 83

G GD GD G / / Am - A D / 1st

Or: easier to play and sing:

D A DA D / / Em - E A / 1st

French: Charles Fonteyn Manney & J.B.Lully

"Au claire de la lune, mon ami Pierrot
Prete-moi ta plume pour ecrire un mot
Ma chandelle est morte, je n'ai plus de feu
Ouvre-moi ta porte pour 1'amour de Dieu."

Au claire de la lune Pierrot repondit
"Je n'ai pas de plume, je suis dans mon lit
Va chez la voisine, je crois qu'elle y est
Car dans sa cuisine on bat le briquet."

Au claire de la lune s'en fut Arlequin
Frapper chez la brune, elle repond soudain
"Qui frappe de la sorte?" Il dit a son tour
"Ouvrez votre porte, pour le dieu d'amour!"

Au claire de la lune on n'y voit qu'un peu
On chercha la plume, on chercha du feu
En cherchant d'la sorte je n'sais c'qu'on trouva
Mais je sais qu'la porte sur eux se ferma!

English translation #1: Anonymous

"At thy door I'm knocking, by the pale moonlight
Lend a pen, I pray thee, I've a word to write
Guttered is my candle, my fire burns no more
For the love of heaven, open up the door!"

Pierrot cried in answer by the pale moonlight
"In my bed I'm lying, late & chill at night
Yonder at my neighbour's, someone is astir
Fire is freshly kindled, get a light from her."

To the neighbour's house then, by the pale moonlight
Goes our gentle Lubin to beg a pen to write
"Who knocks there so softly?" calls a voice above
"Open wide your door now for the God of Love!"

Seek they pen and candle by the pale moonlight
They can see so little since dark is now the night
What they find while seeking, that is not revealed
All behind her door is carefully concealed!

English Translation #2: Dorothy H. Patterson, © 1988

"Underneath the moonlight, Pete my dearest friend
Help me out this once, pal. Won't you lend your pen?
My electric's out and so I have no light
For the love of God, Pete, open up tonight!"

Underneath the moonlight, Peter he replied,
"I ain't got no pen, Harl, I'm in bed - Good night!
Go bother my neighbour, I 'm sure that she's there
Warming up her wood stove, by the kitchen stair."

Underneath the moonlight, Harlequin stayed out
Knocked at the brunette's house, then he heard her shout
"Who is out there knocking?" "'Me," said Harlequin
"For the God of love, dear, please let me come in."

Underneath the moonlight, one can just discern
Someone hunting pens, someone a light to burn
Looking for these things, I don't know what they'll find
But I know the door closed. And then? Never mind!!!

Subject: RE: Au Claire De La Lune - Lyr Addn (new version)
From: RS
Date: 05 Sep 97 - 07:40 PM

Ta da! Thanks Joe!

By the way, my original has only one "br" at the end of line 4, and then the one "blockquote" at the beginning of line 5 - which implies that the "blockquote" also adds a line feed as well as an indent.

Subject: RE: Au Claire De La Lune - Lyr Addn (new version)
From: RS
Date: 05 Sep 97 - 07:35 PM

Well, here goes nothing ... my apologies in advance for clogging up the airwaves, but the only way to find out if this works is to try it & see!

French: Charles Fonteyn Manney & J.B.Lully

"Au claire de la lune, mon ami Pierrot
Prete-moi ta plume pour ecrire un mot
Ma chandelle est morte, je n'ai plus de feu
Ouvre-moi ta porte pour 1'amour de Dieu."

Au claire de la lune Pierrot repondit
"Je n'ai pas de plume, je suis dans mon lit
Va chez la voisine, je crois qu'elle y est
Car dans sa cuisine on bat le briquet."

Subject: RE: Au Claire De La Lune - Lyr Addn (new version)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Sep 97 - 01:59 AM

Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry on this song:

Au Clair de la Lune (By the Pale Moonlight)

DESCRIPTION: French. A man (Harlequin?) asks his friend Pierrot to lend him a pen and open the door, Pierrot suggests he ask the brunette next door. "Someone looked for a pen,... I don't know what was found / But I do know that those two shut the door behind them"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1860 (recording, Leon Scott de Martinville), but the song is usually dated to the 18th century or before
LONG DESCRIPTION: French. A man (Harlequin?) asks his friend Pierrot to lend him a pen and open the door, that he may write a note by moonlight. Pierrot responds that he's in bed and doesn't have a pen; he suggests that his friend ask the brunette next door. He does, and "in the light of the moon you can barely see anything / Someone looked for a pen, someone looked for a flame / ...I don't know what was found / But I do know that those two shut the door behind them". (In one version, there's also a verse about not opening the door to a baker or a cobbler.)
KEYWORDS: foreignlanguage sex nightvisit friend
FOUND IN: US(MW) Canada France
REFERENCES (1 citation):
BerryVin, p. 52, "Au clair de la lune (In the Glow of Moonlight)" (1 text + translation, 1 tune)
RECORDINGS:
Leon Scott de Martinville, 1860
NOTES: The first line of the song's second verse appears as the first known sound recording that has been reproduced, Leon Scott de Martinville's 1860 phonautograph record. Because it was extensively used as a child's beginning piano piece, "Au Clair de la Lune" is widely known in the USA. In some versions, the song references the French version of Commedia Dell'Arte via the names (Harlequin, Pierrot, and presumably Columbine), but it's not known whether these were oiriginally part of the song, or later graftings. - PJS
Last updated in version 2.5
File: BerV052

---

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Subject: RE: Au Claire De La Lune - Lyr Addn (new version)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Sep 97 - 01:55 AM

The double-spaced version is easy to understand, RS. I wouldn't worry about correcting it again. Some of these people can do all sorts of fancy stuff here, but basically the only HTML code your need to know is the line feed, which is the letters "br" bracketed between those two arrow-thingies above the comma and the period. If you precede a paragraph with the word "blockquote" within those arrows, it will indent until you type "/blockquote" -again within the arrows. Now, if I were to type those arrows, that would mess my whole message up here, since I don't know the secret way of entering them.
But for us who are easily confused, we can get away quite nicely with these three commands, all within those arrows:

"br" - new line
"blockquote" - begin indent
"/blockquote" - end indent

Hope I did this right.
-Joe Offer-

---

Oh, and the easy way to do the codes is to type up your lyrics in a word processor, and then use the "replace" function to replace your linefeed or "enter" symbols with "br" within the arrows. Make sense?
-Joe Offer, rank amateur-

Subject: Lyr Add: AU CLAIRE DE LA LUNE
From: RS
Date: 02 Sep 97 - 08:19 PM

Oh well, here goes double spaced (does anyone know how to force a line ending, other than by double spacing?)


AU CLAIRE DE LA LUNE

Very slightly modified (mainly spelling) from Rise Up Singing - page 83

G GD GD G / / Am - A D / 1st

Or: easier to play and sing:

D A DA D / / Em - E A / 1st


French: Charles Fonteyn Manney & J.B.Lully

"Au claire de la lune, mon ami Pierrot
Prete-moi ta plume pour ecrire un mot
Ma chandelle est morte, je n'ai plus de feu
Ouvre-moi ta porte pour 1'amour de Dieu."
   Au claire de la lune Pierrot repondit
   "Je n'ai pas de plume, je suis dans mon lit
   Va chez la voisine, je crois qu'elle y est
   Car dans sa cuisine on bat le briquet."

Au claire de la lune s'en fut Arlequin
Frapper chez la brune, elle repond soudain
"Qui frappe de la sorte?" Il dit a son tour
"Ouvrez votre porte, pour le dieu d'amour!"
   Au claire de la lune on n'y voit qu'un peu
   On chercha la plume, on chercha du feu
   En cherchant d'la sorte je n'sais c'qu'on trouva
   Mais je sais qu'la porte sur eux se ferma!

English translation #1: Anonymous

"At thy door I'm knocking, by the pale moonlight
Lend a pen, I pray thee, I've a word to write
Guttered is my candle, my fire burns no more
For the love of heaven, open up the door!"
   Pierrot cried in answer by the pale moonlight
   "In my bed I'm lying, late & chill at night
   Yonder at my neighbour's, someone is astir
   Fire is freshly kindled, get a light from her."

To the neighbour's house then, by the pale moonlight
Goes our gentle Lubin to beg a pen to write
"Who knocks there so softly?" calls a voice above
"Open wide your door now for the God of Love!"
   Seek they pen and candle by the pale moonlight
   They can see so little since dark is now the night
   What they find while seeking, that is not revealed
   All behind her door is carefully concealed!

English Translation #2: Dorothy H. Patterson, @1988

"Underneath the moonlight, Pete my dearest friend
Help me out this once, pal. Won't you lend your pen?
My electric's out and so I have no light
For the love of God, Pete, open up tonight!"
   Underneath the moonlight, Peter he replied,
   "I ain't got no pen, Harl, I'm in bed - Good night!
   Go bother my neighbour, I 'm sure that she's there
   Warming up her wood stove, by the kitchen stair."

Underneath the moonlight, Harlequin stayed out
Knocked at the brunette's house, then he heard her shout
"Who is out there knocking?" "'Me," said Harlequin
"For the God of love, dear, please let me come in."
   Underneath the moonlight, one can just discern
   Someone hunting pens, someone a light to burn
   Looking for these things, I don't know what they'll find
   But I know the door closed. And then? Never mind!!!

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: AU CLAIRE DE LA LUNE
From: RS
Date: 02 Sep 97 - 08:15 PM

In response to the recent lyric request for French folk songs, here is my transcription of Au Claire de la Lune, which extends the version already on DT, with more verses and a new translation as well. (This has been sitting on my hard drive since February 1997, this is a good motivator to post it!)

I'm going to try this without double spacing the lines, if it doesn't come through clearly I will re-post double-spaced.


AU CLAIRE DE LA LUNE

  
Very slightly modified (mainly spelling) from Rise Up Singing - page 83  
  
G GD GD G /  / Am - A D / 1st  
  
Or:  easier to play and sing:    
D  A  DA  D /  / Em - E A / 1st  
  
French:  Charles Fonteyn Manney & J.B.Lully  
  
"Au claire de la lune, mon ami Pierrot  
Prete-moi ta plume pour ecrire un mot  
Ma chandelle est morte, je n'ai plus de feu  
Ouvre-moi ta porte pour 1'amour de Dieu."  
   Au claire de la lune Pierrot repondit  
   "Je n'ai pas de plume, je suis dans mon lit  
   Va chez la voisine, je crois qu'elle y est  
   Car dans sa cuisine on bat le briquet."  
    
Au claire de la lune s'en fut Arlequin  
Frapper chez la brune, elle repond soudain  
"Qui frappe de la sorte?"  Il dit a son tour  
"Ouvrez votre porte, pour le dieu d'amour!"  
   Au claire de la lune on n'y voit qu'un peu  
   On chercha la plume, on chercha du feu  
   En cherchant d'la sorte je n'sais c'qu'on trouva  
   Mais je sais qu'la porte sur eux se ferma!  
  
English translation #1:  Anonymous  
  
"At thy door I'm knocking, by the pale moonlight  
Lend a pen, I pray thee, I've a word to write  
Guttered is my candle, my fire burns no more  
For the  love of heaven, open up the door!"  
   Pierrot cried in answer by the pale moonlight  
   "In my bed I'm lying, late & chill at night  
   Yonder at my neighbour's, someone is astir  
   Fire is freshly kindled, get a light from her."  
  
To the neighbour's house then, by the pale moonlight  
Goes our gentle Lubin to beg a pen to write  
"Who knocks there so softly?" calls a voice above  
"Open wide your door now for the God of Love!"  
   Seek they pen and candle by the pale moonlight  
   They can see so little since dark is now the night  
   What they find while seeking, that is not revealed  
   All behind her door is carefully concealed!  
  
English Translation #2:  Dorothy H. Patterson, @1988  
"Underneath the moonlight, Pete my dearest friend  
Help me out this once, pal.  Won't you lend your pen?  
My electric's out and so I have no light  
For the love of God, Pete, open up tonight!"  
   Underneath the moonlight, Peter he replied,  
   "I ain't got no pen, Harl, I'm in bed - Good night!  
   Go bother my neighbour, I 'm sure that she's there   
   Warming up her wood stove, by the kitchen stair."  
  
Underneath the moonlight, Harlequin stayed out  
Knocked at the brunette's house, then he heard her shout  
"Who is out there knocking?"  "'Me," said Harlequin  
"For the God of love, dear, please let me come in."  
   Underneath the moonlight, one can just discern  
   Someone hunting pens, someone a light to burn  
   Looking for these things, I don't know what they'll find  
   But I know the door closed.  And then?  Never mind!!!