La fée aux chansons
(1880)
French source:
Armand Silvestre
D’herbe folle coiffée,
Qui courait les buissons,
Sans s’y laisser surprendre,
En avril, pour apprendre
Aux oiseaux leurs chansons.
Lorsque geais et linottes
Faisaient des fausses notes
En récitant leurs chants
La fée, avec constance,
Gourmandait d’importance
Ces élèves méchants.
Sa petite main nue,
D’un brin d’herbe menue
Cueilli dans les halliers,
Pour stimuler leurs zèles,
Fouettait sur leurs ailes
Ces mauvais écoliers.
Par un matin d’automne,
Elle vient et s’étonne,
De voir les bois déserts:
Avec les hirondelles
Ses amis infidèles
Avaient fui dans les airs.
Et tout l’hiver la fée,
D’herbe morte coiffée,
Et comptant les instants
Sous les forêts immenses,
Compose des romances
Pour le prochain printemps!
The song-fairy
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Crowned with rank weeds
Who ran through the bushes
Without being caught,
In April, to teach
The birds their songs.
When jays and linnets
Sang wrong notes
As they recited their songs,
The fairy, tirelessly,
Sternly rebuked
Those naughty pupils.
Her little bare hand,
With a tiny blade of grass
Plucked from the thickets,
To stimulate their zeal
Would whip the wings
Of those bad scholars.
One autumn morning
She comes and is amazed
To find the woods deserted.
With the swallows,
Her unfaithful friends
Had flown away on the wind.
And all winter long, the fairy,
Crowned with dead grass
And counting time
In the vast forests
Composes songs
For the coming spring!
La fée aux chansons
(1880)
French source:
Armand Silvestre
The song-fairy
English source:
Richard Stokes
Il était une fée
There was a fairy
D’herbe folle coiffée,
Crowned with rank weeds
Qui courait les buissons,
Who ran through the bushes
Sans s’y laisser surprendre,
Without being caught,
En avril, pour apprendre
In April, to teach
Aux oiseaux leurs chansons.
The birds their songs.
Lorsque geais et linottes
When jays and linnets
Faisaient des fausses notes
Sang wrong notes
En récitant leurs chants
As they recited their songs,
La fée, avec constance,
The fairy, tirelessly,
Gourmandait d’importance
Sternly rebuked
Ces élèves méchants.
Those naughty pupils.
Sa petite main nue,
Her little bare hand,
D’un brin d’herbe menue
With a tiny blade of grass
Cueilli dans les halliers,
Plucked from the thickets,
Pour stimuler leurs zèles,
To stimulate their zeal
Fouettait sur leurs ailes
Would whip the wings
Ces mauvais écoliers.
Of those bad scholars.
Par un matin d’automne,
One autumn morning
Elle vient et s’étonne,
She comes and is amazed
De voir les bois déserts:
To find the woods deserted.
Avec les hirondelles
With the swallows,
Ses amis infidèles
Her unfaithful friends
Avaient fui dans les airs.
Had flown away on the wind.
Et tout l’hiver la fée,
And all winter long, the fairy,
D’herbe morte coiffée,
Crowned with dead grass
Et comptant les instants
And counting time
Sous les forêts immenses,
In the vast forests
Compose des romances
Composes songs
Pour le prochain printemps!
For the coming spring!
Composer
Gabriel Fauré
"Gabriel Urbain Fauré (12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers. Among his…
Poet
Armand Silvestre
Paul-Armand Silvestre, French poet and conteur, was born in Paris. He studied at the École polytechnique with the intention of entering the army, but in 1870 he entered the department of finance. He had a successful official career, was decorated…