Help opus details for feedback and questions, please contact victor gomersall this is a very popular french childrens song, dating back to the 1700s. The french poet was associated with the symbolist movement. Welcome to r french, the place to learn and teach french. Debussy created this suite in 1888, when he was 26 years old. Paul verlaine was a french poet associated with the symbolist movement. It is the inspiration for the third and most famous movement of claude debussys 1890 suite bergamasque. Your soul is as a moonlit landscape fair peopled with maskers delicate and dim that play on lutes and dance and have an air. It is the inspiration for the third and most famous movement of claude debussy s 1890 suite bergamasque. By the light of the moon is a french folk song of the 18th century. Jul 26, 2015 paul verlaine was a french poet associated with the symbolist movement.
This song seems to be the earliest recording of human voice that exists today, as it is reproduced on a. Its simple melody play helpinfo is commonly taught to beginners learning an instrument. Originally written in 1890, an unknown publisher urged debussy to sell the music. This is one of the most famous and popular kids songs in france and dates all the way back to the eighteenth century. Although debussy wrote the piece in 1890 at the age of 25 read more. Harlequin is a clear reference to the french equivalent of the commedia delarte.
This is one of the most wellknown french nursery rhyme, along with frere jacques and alouette. Welcome to rfrench, the place to learn and teach french. Originally written in 1890, an unknown publisher urged debussy to. This text is written in french, but is on the english wikisource. The title is french for moonlight, and is based off a poem by paul verlaine. The word bergamasques in the poem refers to a rustic dance of the buffoonery kind originating in bergamo, italy. Over 100,000 english translations of french words and phrases. The melody is simple, which is why it is often used to teach children how to play an instrument, and the lyrics beautiful, whether sung in french or in english. Debussy also made two settings of the poem for voice and piano accompaniment. The poem has also been set to music by gabriel faure and josef szulc. This page was last edited on 11 november 2019, at 04. Consider listening to the composition of nearly the same name by debussy as you read. This work was written with a poem by paul verlaine of the same name. Paul verlaine 18441896 language french dedication see below.
The piece was influenced by poetry, baroque music and the. This song seems to be the earliest recording of human voice that exists today, as it is. That comptine, as nursery rhymes are known in french, might not have been as familiar to english speakers as the one im writing about today. Linda marshall id like to suggest another translation which i laboured over for a week this is one of the hardest french poems to translate since you have a choice of a literal rendering or free verse both of. The title refers to a folk song that was the conventional accompaniment of scenes of the lovesick pierrot in the french pantomime, and indeed the many pierrotlike associations in debussys later music, notably in the orchestral work images 1912 and.