Original French | English translation |
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Ah ! vous dirai-je, maman, Ce qui cause mon tourment? Depuis que j’ai vu Silvandre Me regarder d’un air tendre, Mon coeur dit à tout moment: Peut-on vivre sans amant? |
Ah, shall I tell you, Mother, What causes my torment? Ever since I saw Silvandre Look at me with a tender air, My heart says at every moment: Can you live without a lover? |
L’autre jour, dans un bosquet Il me cueillait un bouquet; Il en orna ma houlette, Me disant: Belle brunette, Flore est moins belle que toi, L’amour moins épris que moi. |
The other day, in a grove he picked some flowers for me; he adorned my shepherd’s crook with them telling me: Pretty brunette, Nature’s flowers are less beautiful than you, and Love is less enraptured than I. |
Je rougis et par malheur Un soupir trahit mon coeur; Le cruel, avec adresse, Profita de ma faiblesse: Hélas! maman, un faux pas Me fit tomber dans ses bras. |
I blushed and by misfortune a sigh betrayed my heart; the cruel man, with skill, profited from my feebleness: Alas, Mother, a misstep made me fall in his arms. |
Je n’avais pour tout soutien Que ma houlette et mon chien; Amour, voulant ma défaite, Ecarte chien et houlette: Ah! qu’on goûte de douceur Quand l’amour prend soin d’un coeur! |
I had no support other than my crook and my dog; Love, desiring my defeat, removed the dog and the crook: Ah, how we taste such sweetness when love takes charge of a heart! (edited version of this post) |
English version |
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Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. |
When the blazing sun is gone, When he nothing shines upon, Then you show your little light, Twinkle, twinkle, through the night. |
Then the traveller in the dark Thanks you for your tiny spark; He could not see where to go, If you did not twinkle so. |
In the dark blue sky you keep, And often through my curtains peep, For you never shut your eye Till the sun is in the sky. |
As your bright and tiny spark Lights the traveller in the dark, Though I know not what you are, Twinkle, twinkle, little star. Jane and Ann Taylor (published 1806) |
Original German | English translation |
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Hänschen klein ging [geht] allein In die weite Welt hinein. Stock und Hut steht ihm gut, Ist gar wohlgemut. Aber Mutter weinet sehr, hat ja nun kein Hänschen mehr. Da besinnt sich das Kind, läuft [rennt] nach Haus geschwind. Franz Wiedemann (1821–1882) |
Little Hans went alone Out into the wide world. Stick and hat suit him well. He is in good spirits. But his mother cries so much, For she no longer has little Hans. Look! the child changes his mind and runs quickly home. |
Japanese version | Romanization | English translation |
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ちょうちょう ちょうちょう 菜の葉にとまれ 菜の葉にあいたら 桜にとまれ 桜の花の 花から花へ とまれよ遊べ 遊べよとまれ |
Chō chō chō chō na no ha ni tomare na no ha ni aitara sakura ni tomare sakura no hana no hana kara hana e tomare yo asobe asobe yo tomare |
Butterfly, butterfly, Come to rest on mustard plants. If you’re tired of mustard plants, Come to rest on cherry blossoms. Fly from one cherry blossom To another. Rest and play, Play and rest. |
English version |
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Lightly row! lightly row! O’er the glassy waves we go; Smoothly glide! smoothly glide! On the silent tide, Let the winds and waters be mingled with our melody, Sing and float! sing and float! In our little boat. |
Apparently, this popular German song is known to most German
speakers with a version of the melody that is slightly different
from the original (as published in 1824).
At the first statement of “mit dem Schießgewehr” (mm.9–10 in the Suzuki book), the original melody is 3-2-2-3 | 1, and the familiar German version is 3-2-3-2 | 1-3-5.
Similarly, in the last two measures, the original melody is 3-2-2-3 | 1, and the familiar German version is 3-2-3-2 | 1.
It’s not clear (to me) how the melody evolved into its
current familiar version, but these particular modifications
appear in almost every modern printed source and recording of
this song. The melody in the Suzuki books matches neither of
these exactly, but is closer to the modern German version:
The accompaniment in the suggested recording is not in the
original score.
Original German | English translation |
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Fuchs, du hast die Gans gestohlen, gib sie wieder her, gib sie wieder her! Sonst wird dich1 der Jäger holen, mit dem Schießgewehr! Sonst wird dich der Jäger holen, mit dem Schießgewehr! |
Fox, you’ve stolen the goose Give it back! Give it back! Or the hunter will fetch you With his rifle, Or the hunter will fetch you With his rifle. |
Seine große, lange Flinte schießt auf dich den Schrot, schießt auf dich den Schrot, dass dich färbt die rote Tinte und dann bist du2 tot, dass dich färbt die rote Tinte und dann bist du tot. |
His big, long gun, Shoots a little shot at you, Shoots a little shot at you, So you’re colored with red ink And then you’re dead. So you’re colored with red ink And then you’re dead. |
Liebes Füchslein, lass dir raten, sei doch nur kein Dieb, sei doch nur kein Dieb! Nimm, du brauchst nicht Gänsebraten, mit der Maus vorlieb, nimm, du brauchst nicht Gänsebraten, mit der Maus vorlieb! |
Dear little fox, take my advice: Just don’t be a thief, Just don’t be a thief, You don’t need roast goose, Be content with the mouse. You don’t need roast goose, Be content with the mouse. |
Ernst Anschütz (1780–1861) 1orig: sie 2orig: und du bist dann |
(edited from this page) |
Sometime in the late 1780s, composers of parlor music began
using the Rousseau melody for their own songs, usually by
shortening the original and then adding their own words. The
first known example is the song Sweet Melissa, Lovely
Maiden, by J. Dale, published ca. 1789 in London, which
uses a version of the melody that is quite similar to the
original.
Apparently, the name “Rousseau’s Dream” was
first used in print in 1812, with the London publication of
Variations on “Rousseau’s Dream” (for
solo piano), by J. B. Cramer. Cramer’s version of the
melody contains two slight but significant alterations: the
first phrase ends on scale-degree 1 (instead of 2), and the
second phrase (m.3) starts a third higher than the original.
These changes are interesting because they were retained
throughout the century that followed, as Rousseau’s
Dream gradually evolved into the American folk song
Go Tell Aunt Rhody.
There are many documented variants of the Go Tell Aunt
Rhody melody, but the vast majority of them contain only
four measures, repeated again for each new verse. The melody
appearing in the Suzuki books, however, uses the same 12-measure
“A–B–A” form as Cramer’s version,
therefore it is more precise to refer to the Suzuki melody as
Rousseau’s Dream.
Original German | English translation |
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Ihr Kinderlein, kommet, o kommet doch all, zur Krippe her kommet in Bethlehems Stall, und seht, was in dieser hochheiligen Nacht der Vater im Himmel für Freude uns macht! |
O come, little children, O come, one and all, O come to the manger in Bethlehem’s stall; And see what our Father on this holy night, Has sent us from Heaven for our pure delight. |
O seht in der Krippe, im nächtlichen Stall, seht hier bei des Lichtleins hellglänzendem Strahl in reinliche Windeln das himmlische Kind, viel schöner und holder als Engel es sind. |
O see, in the cradle, this night in the stall, O see how the light dazzles even us all; In pure gleaming white lies this Child, heaven’s love, More beaut’ous and holy than angels above. |
Da liegt es, ach, Kinder, auf Heu und auf Stroh; Maria und Joseph betrachten es froh; die redlichen Hirten knien betend davor, hoch oben schwebt jubelnd der Engelein Chor. |
Oh, there lies the Christ Child, on hay and on straw; The shepherds are kneeling before Him with awe. And Mary and Joseph smile on Him with love, While angels are singing sweet songs from above. |
O beugt, wie die Hirten, anbetend die Knie, erhebet die Händlein und danket wie sie; stimmt freudig, ihr Kinder, wer wollt sich nicht freun? stimmt freudig zum Jubel der Engel mit ein. |
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O betet: Du liebes, du göttliches Kind, was leidest du alles für unsere Sünd! ach, hier in der Krippe schon Armuth und Noth, am Kreuze dort gar noch den bitteren Tod. |
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Was geben wir Kinder, was schenken wir dir, du bestes und liebstes der Kinder, dafür? Nichts willst du von Schätzen und Reichthum der Welt; ein Herz nur voll Unschuld allein dir gefällt. |
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So nimm unsre Herzen zum Opfer denn hin; wir geben sie gerne mit fröhlichem Sinn; und mache sie heilig und selig wie deins, und mach sie auf ewig mit deinem in eins. Christoph von Schmid (1768–1854) |
Original German | English translation |
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Alle Vögel sind schon da, alle Vögel, alle! Welch ein Singen, Musicier’n, Pfeifen, Zwitschern, Tirelier’n! Frühling will nun einmarschier’n, kommt mit Sang und Schalle. |
All the birds are already here, All the birds, all! What singing, music playing, Whistling, chirping, trills! Spring wants to arrive now, It comes with song and sounds. |
Wie sie alle lustig sind, flink und froh sich regen! Amsel, Droßel, Fink und Staar und die ganze Vogelschaar wünschet dir ein frohes Jahr, lauter Heil und Segen. |
How cheerful they all are, They move, nimble and gay! Blackbird, thrush, finch and starling, And a whole cloud of birds Wish you a happy new year, Higher holiness and blessing. |
Was sie uns verkündet nun, nehmen wir zu Herzen: wir auch wollen lustig sein, lustig wie die Vögelein, hier und dort, feldaus, feldein, singen, springen, scherzen. Hoffmann von Fallersleben (1798–1874) |
What they announce to us now Goes straight to our hearts: We want to be cheerful too, Cheerful like the little birds, Here and there, out and in the fields, We want to sing, to jump, to joke. (edited from this page) |
Tell me the tales that to me were so dear, Long long ago, long long ago:
Sing me the songs I delighted to hear,Long long ago, long ago.
Now you are come all my grief is remov’d,Let me forget that so long you have rov’d, Let me believe that you love as you lov’d, Long long ago, long ago.
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Do you remember the path where we met, Long long ago, long long ago?
Ah yes you told me you ne’er would forget,Long long ago, long ago.
Then to all others my smile you prefer’d,Love when you spoke gave a charm to each word, Still my heart treasures the praises I heard, Long long ago, long ago.
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Though by your kindness my fond hopes were rais’d, Long long ago, long long ago,
You by more eloquent lips have been prais’d,Long long ago, long ago.
But by long absence your truth has been tried,Still to your accents I listen with pride, Blest as I was when I sat by your side Long long ago, long ago.
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