Songs

Voyage à Paris

by Francis Poulenc From Banalités (1940) FP 107

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This song was recorded live in The Jacqueline du Pré Music Building, St Hilda’s College as part of the Oxford Lieder Festival in 2006.
Click here to listen to this song performed by Sophie Daneman and Julius Drake.



Text & Translation

View IPA

Voyage à Paris
French source: Guillaume Apollinaire

Ah! la charmante chose
Quitter un pays morose
Pour Paris
Paris joli
Qu’un jour
Dut créer l’Amour

Trip to Paris
English translation © Richard Stokes

Oh! how delightful
To leave a dismal
Place for Paris
Charming Paris
That one day
Love must have made
Oh! how delightful
To leave a dismal
Place for Paris

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

Voyage à Paris
French source: Guillaume Apollinaire

Trip to Paris
English source: Richard Stokes

Ah! la charmante chose
Oh! how delightful
Quitter un pays morose
To leave a dismal
Pour Paris
Place for Paris
Paris joli
Charming Paris
Qu’un jour
That one day
Dut créer l’Amour
Love must have made

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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