RECORDINGS
Listen to 'Haï luli' here.
A further recording of 'Haï luli' by Hélène Guilmette & Martin Dubé.
Haï luli
French source:
Xavier de Maistre
je ne sais plus que devenir.
Mon bon ami devait venir,
et je lʹattends ici seulette.
Haï luli! Haï luli!
Où donc peut être mon ami?
Je mʹassieds pour filer ma laine,
le fil se casse dans ma main ...
Allons, je filerai demain;
aujourd'hui je suis trop en peine!
Haï luli! Haï luli!
Quʹil fait triste sans son ami!
Ah! s'il est vrai qu'il soit volage,
sʹil doit un jour mʹabandonner,
le village nʹa quʹà brûler,
et moi-même avec le village!
Haï luli! Haï luli!
A quoi bon vivre sans ami?
Hai luli
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
I no longer know what’s to become of me.
My lover was to have come,
And I wait for him here alone.
Hai luli, hai luli,
How sad it is without my lover!
I sit down to spin my wool,
The thread snaps in my hand:
Well then! I shall spin tomorrow,
Today I am too upset.
Hai luli, hai luli,
Where can my lover be?
Ah! If it’s true that he’s unfaithful,
And will one day abandon me,
Then let the village burn
And me too along with the village!
Hai luli, hai luli,
What point is there in living without a lover?
Translation © Richard Stokes author of A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)
Haï luli
French source:
Xavier de Maistre
Hai luli
English source:
Richard Stokes
Je suis triste, je mʹinquiète,
I am sad, I am anxious,
je ne sais plus que devenir.
I no longer know what’s to become of me.
Mon bon ami devait venir,
My lover was to have come,
et je lʹattends ici seulette.
And I wait for him here alone.
Haï luli! Haï luli!
Hai luli, hai luli,
Où donc peut être mon ami?
How sad it is without my lover!
Je mʹassieds pour filer ma laine,
I sit down to spin my wool,
le fil se casse dans ma main ...
The thread snaps in my hand:
Allons, je filerai demain;
Well then! I shall spin tomorrow,
aujourd'hui je suis trop en peine!
Today I am too upset.
Haï luli! Haï luli!
Hai luli, hai luli,
Quʹil fait triste sans son ami!
Where can my lover be?
Ah! s'il est vrai qu'il soit volage,
Ah! If it’s true that he’s unfaithful,
sʹil doit un jour mʹabandonner,
And will one day abandon me,
le village nʹa quʹà brûler,
Then let the village burn
et moi-même avec le village!
And me too along with the village!
Haï luli! Haï luli!
Hai luli, hai luli,
A quoi bon vivre sans ami?
What point is there in living without a lover?
Composer
Pauline Viardot
Pauline Viardot, née Garcia (1821-1910) was one of the most remarkable, accomplished musical professionals of the 19th century. Born into a family of music professionals, she wanted to be a pianist, but following the early death of her sister…
