Au clair de la lune
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"Au Clair de la Lune" (French pronunciation: [o klɛʁ də la lyn(ə)], By the light of the moon) is a French folk song of the 18th century. The author is unknown. Its simple melody (
Play (help·info)) is commonly taught to beginner students of the glockenspiel, as it provides an easy way for students to become comfortable with how notes are played on their instrument.
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[edit] Lyrics
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French Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
The song is now considered a lullaby for children but carries a double entendre throughout (the dead candle, the need to light up the flame, the God of love, etc.) that becomes clear with its conclusion.
- Au clair de la lune
- Mon ami Pierrot
- Prête-moi ta plume
- Pour écrire un mot
- Ma chandelle est morte
- Je n'ai plus de feu
- Ouvre-moi ta porte
- Pour l'amour de Dieu
- Au clair de la lune,
- Pierrot répondit :
- « Je n'ai pas de plume,
- Je suis dans mon lit.
- Va chez la voisine,
- Je crois qu'elle y est,
- Car dans sa cuisine
- On bat le briquet. »
- Au clair de la lune,
- L'aimable Lubin;
- Frappe chez la brune,
- Elle répond soudain :
- -Qui frappe de la sorte ?
- Il dit à son tour :
- -Ouvrez votre porte,
- Pour le Dieu d'Amour.
- Au clair de la lune,
- On n'y voit qu'un peu.
- On chercha la plume,
- On chercha le feu.
- En cherchant d'la sorte,
- Je n'sais c'qu'on trouva ;
- Mais je sais qu'la porte
- Sur eux se ferma..
In English:
- By the light of the moon
- My friend Pierrot
- Lend me your pen
- To write a word
- My candle is dead
- I have no more fire
- Open your door for me
- For the love of God
- By the light of the moon,
- Pierrot replied
- I don't have any pen,
- I'm in bed
- Go to the neighbor's,
- I think she's there
- Because in her kitchen
- Someone is using the lighter
- By the light of the moon
- likable Lubin
- Knocks on the brunette's door
- she soon responds
- Who's knocking like that?
- He then replies
- Open your door
- for the God of Love!
- By the light of the moon
- One could barely see
- The pen was looked for
- The light was looked for
- With all that looking
- I don't know what was found
- But I do know that the door
- Was shut behind them.
[edit] In classical music
19th-century French composer Camille Saint-Saëns quoted the first few notes of the tune in the section The Fossils, part of his famous suite The Carnival of the Animals.
[edit] 1860 recording
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This 1860 phonautogram by Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville is the oldest recognizable recording of the human voice, presumably that of its creator.[1][2]
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In 2008, a phonautograph paper recording made by Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville of Au Clair de la Lune on April 9, 1860 was digitally converted to sound by U.S. researchers. This one-line excerpt of the song was widely reported to have been the earliest recognizable record of the human voice and the earliest recognizable record of music.[3][4]
According to those researchers, the phonautograph recording contains the beginning of the second verse of the song, "Au clair de la lune, Pierrot répondit...".[4] It has also been reported that the recording contains the beginning of the song, "Au clair de la lune, mon ami Pierrot...".[5][6]
[edit] References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Au clair de la lune |
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Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
- ^ "FirstSounds.ORG". FirstSounds.ORG. 2008-03-27. http://www.firstsounds.org/sounds/scott.php. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ Jody Rosen (March 27, 2008). "Researchers Play Tune Recorded Before Edison". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/arts/27soun.html.
- ^ a b FirstSounds.org (March 2008). "First Sounds archive of recovered sounds, MP3 archive". First Sounds. http://www.firstsounds.org/sounds/.
- ^ "Un papier ancien trouve sa " voix "" (in French). Radio-Canada.ca. 28 March 2008. http://www.radio-canada.ca/arts-spectacles/PlusArts/2008/03/28/001-phonautographe.asp. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
- ^ Jean-Baptiste Roch (13 May 2008). "Le son le plus vieux du monde" (in French). Télérama. http://www.telerama.fr/techno/le-son-le-plus-vieux-du-monde,28783.php. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
[edit] External links
- Listen 1931 recording by Yvonne Printemps. Webpage includes full lyrics.
