by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Le faux pas
Language: French (Français)
Available translation(s): ENG
Ah, vous dirai-je Maman,
Ce qui cause mon tourment?
Papa veut que je raisonne
Com-me u-ne grande personne;
Moi, je dis que les bonbons,
Valent mieux que la raison!
Ah, vous dirai-je Maman,
Ce qui cause mon tourment?
Papa veut que je demande
De la soupe et de la viande;
Moi, je dis que les bonbons,
Valent mieux que les mignons!
Submitter's note: According to James Fuld, the original French text goes back to a manuscript copy of about 1765, with the title "Le faux pas." The earliest printed version of the melody (Twinkle twinkle / Baa, baa black sheep) appeared with these words in Recueil de Romances, by M. D. L. (Brussels, 1774), p. 75.
Mozart wrote some piano variations on this melody.
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
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Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English [singable] (Thomas Heck) , title unknown, copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Thomas Heck
This text was added to the website: 2015-09-17
Line count: 12
Word count: 61
Mommy, shall I tell you why
Language: English  after the French (Français)
Mommy, shall I tell you why
Laughter’s given way to sigh?
I’ve been told by Dad to act
Rea-son-ab-ly, when in fact
I prefer sweet bonbons more
Than “8” being “2” times “4”!
Mommy, shall I tell you why
Laughter’s given way to sigh?
Dad insists that I must eat
Only soup and only meat;
As for me, I’d rather chew
Chocolate éclairs than ragu!
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- Singable translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2015 by Thomas Heck, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2015-09-17
Line count: 12
Word count: 65