Chanson d’Orkenise
French source:
Guillaume Apollinaire
Veut entrer un charretier.
Par les portes d’Orkenise
Veut sortir un va-nu-pieds.
Et les gardes de la ville
Courant sus au va-nu-pieds:
‘Qu’ emportes-tu de la ville?’
‘J’y laisse mon coeur entier.’
Et les gardes de la ville
Courant sus au charretier:
‘Qu’apportes-tu dans la ville?’
‘Mon coeur pour me marier!’
Que de coeurs, dans Orkenise!
Les gardes riaient, riaient.
Va-nu-pieds la route est grise,
L’amour grise, ô charretier.
Les beaux gardes de la ville
Tricotaient superbement;
Puis les portes de la ville
Se fermèrent lentement.
Song of Orkenise
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
A waggoner wants to enter.
Through the gates of Orkenise
A vagabond wants to leave.
And the sentries guarding the town
Rush up to the vagabond:
'What are you taking from the town?'
'I'm leaving my whole heart behind.'
And the sentries guarding the town
Rush up to the waggoner:
'What are you carrying into the town?'
'My heart in order to marry.'
So many hearts in Orkenise!
The sentries laughed and laughed:
Vagabond, the road's not merry,
Love makes you merry, O waggoner!
The handsome sentries guarding the town
Knitted vaingloriously;
The gates of the town then
Slowly closed.
Translation © Richard Stokes, from A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
Chanson d’Orkenise
French source:
Guillaume Apollinaire
Song of Orkenise
English source:
Richard Stokes
Par les portes d’Orkenise
Through the gates of Orkenise
Veut entrer un charretier.
A waggoner wants to enter.
Par les portes d’Orkenise
Through the gates of Orkenise
Veut sortir un va-nu-pieds.
A vagabond wants to leave.
Et les gardes de la ville
And the sentries guarding the town
Courant sus au va-nu-pieds:
Rush up to the vagabond:
‘Qu’ emportes-tu de la ville?’
'What are you taking from the town?'
‘J’y laisse mon coeur entier.’
'I'm leaving my whole heart behind.'
Et les gardes de la ville
And the sentries guarding the town
Courant sus au charretier:
Rush up to the waggoner:
‘Qu’apportes-tu dans la ville?’
'What are you carrying into the town?'
‘Mon coeur pour me marier!’
'My heart in order to marry.'
Que de coeurs, dans Orkenise!
So many hearts in Orkenise!
Les gardes riaient, riaient.
The sentries laughed and laughed:
Va-nu-pieds la route est grise,
Vagabond, the road's not merry,
L’amour grise, ô charretier.
Love makes you merry, O waggoner!
Les beaux gardes de la ville
The handsome sentries guarding the town
Tricotaient superbement;
Knitted vaingloriously;
Puis les portes de la ville
The gates of the town then
Se fermèrent lentement.
Slowly closed.
Composer
Francis Poulenc
Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (F7 January 1899 – 30 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include mélodies, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Read the full…
Poet
Guillaume Apollinaire
Guillaume Apollinaire (26 August 1880 – 9 November 1918) was a French poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist, and art critic of Polish-Belarusian descent. Apollinaire is considered one of the foremost poets of the early 20th century, as…