Songs

La diva de l’empire

by Erik Satie

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Text & Translation

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La diva de l’empire
French source: Dominique Bonnaud & Numa Blès

Sous le grand chapeau Greenaway,
Mettant l'éclat d'un sourire,
D'un rire charmant et frais
De baby étonné qui soupire,
Little girl aux yeux veloutés,
C'est la Diva de l'Empire.
C'est la rein' dont s'éprennent
Les gentlemen
Et tous les dandys
De Piccadilly.

Dans un seul "yes" elle mettant de douceur
Que tous les snobs en gilet à coeur,
L'accueillant des hourras frénétiques,
Sur la scène lancent des gerbes de fleurs,
Sans remarquer le rire narquois
De son joli minois.

Elle danse presque automatiquement
Et soulève, oh très pudiquement,
Ses jolis dessous de fanfreluches,
De ses jambes montrant le frétillement.
C'est à la fois très très innocent
Et très très excitant.

The starlet of the Empire
English translation © Richard Stokes

Beneath her large Greenaway hat,
Putting on her dazzling smile,
The fresh and charming laugh
Of a wide-eyed sighing babe,
A little girl with velvet eyes -
She's the Diva of the Empire,
She's the queen they're smitten with,
The gentlemen
And all the dandies
Of Piccadilly.

She invests a single 'Yes' with such sweetness,
That all the fancy-waistcoated snobs
Welcoming her with frenzied cheers,
Hurl bouquets on the stage,
Without observing the wily smile
On her pretty face.

She dances almost mechanically
And lifts - Oh! so modestly -
Her pretty petticoat edged with flounces,
To reveal her wriggling legs.
It is very, very innocent
And very, very exciting too.

Translation © Richard Stokes, author of A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)

La diva de l’empire
French source: Dominique Bonnaud & Numa Blès

The starlet of the Empire
English source: Richard Stokes

Sous le grand chapeau Greenaway,
Beneath her large Greenaway hat,
Mettant l'éclat d'un sourire,
Putting on her dazzling smile,
D'un rire charmant et frais
The fresh and charming laugh
De baby étonné qui soupire,
Of a wide-eyed sighing babe,
Little girl aux yeux veloutés,
A little girl with velvet eyes -
C'est la Diva de l'Empire.
She's the Diva of the Empire,
C'est la rein' dont s'éprennent
She's the queen they're smitten with,
Les gentlemen
The gentlemen
Et tous les dandys
And all the dandies
De Piccadilly.
Of Piccadilly.

Dans un seul "yes" elle mettant de douceur
She invests a single 'Yes' with such sweetness,
Que tous les snobs en gilet à coeur,
That all the fancy-waistcoated snobs
L'accueillant des hourras frénétiques,
Welcoming her with frenzied cheers,
Sur la scène lancent des gerbes de fleurs,
Hurl bouquets on the stage,
Sans remarquer le rire narquois
Without observing the wily smile
De son joli minois.
On her pretty face.

Elle danse presque automatiquement
She dances almost mechanically
Et soulève, oh très pudiquement,
And lifts - Oh! so modestly -
Ses jolis dessous de fanfreluches,
Her pretty petticoat edged with flounces,
De ses jambes montrant le frétillement.
To reveal her wriggling legs.
C'est à la fois très très innocent
It is very, very innocent
Et très très excitant.
And very, very exciting too.

Composer

Erik Satie

Éric Alfred Leslie Satie was a French composer and pianist. An influential artist in the Parisian avant-garde, Satie's work can be considered a precursor to later movements such as minimalism, repepitive music, and the Theatre of the…

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