Songs

L’écrevisse, 'The crayfish'

by Francis Poulenc From Le Bestiaire (1919) FP 15a

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Text & Translation

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L’écrevisse, 'The crayfish'
French source: Guillaume Apollinaire

Incertitude, ô mes délices
Vous et moi nous nous en allons
Comme s’en vont les écrevisses,
À reculons, à reculons.

The crayfish
English translation © Richard Stokes

Uncertainty, O! my delights
You and I we progress
As crayfish progress,
Backwards, backwards.

Translations by Richard Stokes, from A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000)

L’écrevisse, 'The crayfish'
French source: Guillaume Apollinaire

The crayfish
English source: Richard Stokes

Incertitude, ô mes délices
Uncertainty, O! my delights
Vous et moi nous nous en allons
You and I we progress
Comme s’en vont les écrevisses,
As crayfish progress,
À reculons, à reculons.
Backwards, backwards.

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…

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