Songs

Le martin-pêcheur

by Maurice Ravel From Histoires naturelles (1906)

If you would like to use our texts and translations, please click here for more information.

Text & Translation

View IPA

Le martin-pêcheur
French source: Jules Renard

Ça n’a pas mordu, ce soir, mais je rapporte une rare émotion.
Comme je tenais ma perche de ligne tendue, un martin-pêcheur est venu s’y poser.
Nous n’avons pas d’oiseau plus éclatant.
Il semblait une grosse fleur bleue au bout d’une longue tige.
La perche pliait sous le poids. Je ne respirais plus, tout fier d’être pris pour un arbre par un martin-pêcheur.
Et je suis sûr qu’il ne s’est pas envolé de peur, mais qu’il a cru qu’il ne faisait que passer d’une branche à une autre.

The Kingfisher
English translation © Richard Stokes

Not a bite, this evening, but I had a rare experience.
As I was holding out my fishing rod, a kingfisher came and perched on it.
We have no bird more brilliant.
He was like a great blue flower at the tip of a long stem. The rod bent beneath the weight.
I held my breath, so proud to be taken for a tree by a kingfisher.
And I’m sure he did not fly off from fear, but thought he was simply flitting from one branch to another.

Le martin-pêcheur
French source: Jules Renard

The Kingfisher
English source: Richard Stokes

Ça n’a pas mordu, ce soir, mais je rapporte une rare émotion.
Not a bite, this evening, but I had a rare experience.
Comme je tenais ma perche de ligne tendue, un martin-pêcheur est venu s’y poser.
As I was holding out my fishing rod, a kingfisher came and perched on it.
Nous n’avons pas d’oiseau plus éclatant.
We have no bird more brilliant.
Il semblait une grosse fleur bleue au bout d’une longue tige.
He was like a great blue flower at the tip of a long stem. The rod bent beneath the weight.
La perche pliait sous le poids. Je ne respirais plus, tout fier d’être pris pour un arbre par un martin-pêcheur.
I held my breath, so proud to be taken for a tree by a kingfisher.
Et je suis sûr qu’il ne s’est pas envolé de peur, mais qu’il a cru qu’il ne faisait que passer d’une branche à une autre.
And I’m sure he did not fly off from fear, but thought he was simply flitting from one branch to another.

Composer

Maurice Ravel

Joseph Maurice Ravel was a French composer, pianist and conductor.  In the 1920s and 1930s he was internationally regarded as France's greatest living composer. He was one of the first composers to acknowledge the potential of recording in making…

Performances

Previously performed at:

Help us with a Donation

Enjoying our texts and translations? Help us continue to offer this service to all.

Make a Donation

Select Tickets