Au claire de la lune? is that right?

Subject: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: Ajaleigh
Date: 25 Jan 99 - 08:59 PM

OKay, I know this song only in English. I don't know if this is the correct title and how it's spelled to search for it here, which I would like to do. So if anyone could enlighten me on the correct title and spelling, that would be most helpful. Here are some of the words in English:

In the evening moonlight, my good friend Pierot, lend to me your quill pen, just to write a note. My candle is burnt out, and my fire's out too. Your fromt door please open, please I beg of you.

Thanks in advance! Aja

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 25 Jan 99 - 09:46 PM

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
Ouvrez-moi ta porte
Pour l'amour de Dieu!

The first line is the title. Your translation is pretty close; the French ends: Open (for me) your door, for the love of God! A little more emphatic than your sources translation, yours fits the melody better!
Bon chance, tout le monde! Allison

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From:
Date: 26 Jan 99 - 05:42 AM

As I remember from school French some long years since, it goes:

Au claire de la lune, mon ami Pierrot, Preter moi ta plume, pour ecrire un mot, Ma chandelle est morte, je n'ai plus de feu, Ouvrer moi ta porte, pour l'amour de Dieu.

I can't guarantee spelling, tenses or quality of French, but you can see that your English version is a pretty close translation.

Best wishes,

Penny

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: KingBrilliant
Date: 26 Jan 99 - 08:20 AM

Excellent Will!!
I never knew there was more than one verse.
It seems to be a bit on the bawdy side, but my french is
'o' level 20 years back.
Can anyone do us a full four-verse translation please?

Cheers

Kris

PS. I tried running it through the Alta Vista translation
site and got :

1. In the moonlight, my friend Pierrot /
Prete me your feather, to write a mot. /
My candle died, I do not have more fire, /
Ouvre me your gate, for the love of God.

2. The moonlight, Pierrot answered: /
" I do not have a feather, I am in my bed /
Va to the neighbor, I believe that it is there, /
Car in the kitchen one beats the lighter. "

3. The moonlight suddenly, pleasant Lubin /
Striking at the brown one, ell' answers: /
"Which frapp' of the kind. " It says has its turn: /
" Open your gate, for God of love. "

4. With the moonlight, one does not see there that a little /
One seeks the feather, one seeks fire /
While seeking of the kind, I do not know that one
found /
But I know that the gate on them r' was closed.

I especially like the 'car in the kitchen' line.

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: Margo
Date: 26 Jan 99 - 02:22 PM

O.K. I see the need for a little help with translation.

By the light of the moon my friend Pierrot,
Lend me your pen for to write a word,
may lamp is dead, I have no more fire.
Open your door for the love of God.

By the light of the moon Pierrot replied,
I have no pen, I have no fire.
Go to the neighbor, I believe she is there,
For in the kitchen, someone's building a fire.

By the light of the moon the friendly Lubin
knocked on the brunette's door and she replied suddenly,
"Who's knocking at my door?" and he replied in turn,
"Open your door for the love of God"

By the light of the moon, one couldn't see much there
they looked for the pen, they looked for some fire.
In looking for thoses things, I don't know if they were found,
But I know that the door shut behind them.

I hope this is helpful.

Margaret

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Jan 99 - 02:30 PM

Hey, I learned this song from the nuns in grade school - I wonder if they knew the end of the story.....
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: SteveF (inactive)
Date: 26 Jan 99 - 03:33 PM

Margarita - You were doing fine with your translation until the third stanza. You blew the punchline... this time Lubin changes his request to "open up for the God of Love."

Maybe that's why the nuns never told Joe the rest of the story!

-- SteveF

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: ajaleigh
Date: 26 Jan 99 - 09:07 PM

hey thanx all of you! now i can learn how to say the french, get the music, and have it for my guitar

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 27 Jan 99 - 12:08 AM

If you check out the DT, there are a couple of pretty good translations.

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 01:28 PM

I have a half-dozen "folksong" books (the 'commercial' off the rack kind) that list the English translation as At Pierrot's Door or At Perrot's Door.

None gives more than two verses.

I'll probably never get the folk melody right, because "Claire de Lune" always starts DeBussy's piano sonata(?) from his Suite Bergamasque ringing in my head.

John

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: Helen
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 09:08 PM

Mudcat synchronicity strikes again! Thanks masato for refreshing this thread.

I have been wasting a considerable amount of time lately playing a kids computer game called Rayman. In one level a tune is played, which I recognised as French from my high school studies but I could not remember any of the words or the name of the tune.

You have now given me the answer - and reminded me of a pretty tune, as well as now being enlightened about what it is really about.

Helen

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: pavane
Date: 20 Oct 02 - 03:53 AM

No one has mentioned the English song to the tune, which we were all taught at school?

Jesus' hands are kind hands, doing good to all

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 20 Oct 02 - 11:26 AM

Probably because we are all trying to forget it pavane!

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 20 Oct 02 - 12:28 PM

Never heard of it, Pavane.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: pavane
Date: 20 Oct 02 - 12:29 PM

Yes I suppose so, but for the sake of completeness...

Subject: RE: Au claire de lune? is that right?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 06 Dec 02 - 11:00 AM

At Pierrot's Door [sheet music].