LA LEÇON DE MUSIQUE – LL.
THE LESSON OF MUSIC – LL.
No.1
L'ÈLÈVE ―
Mi, mi, sol. — La musique est
un art ridicule!
un art ridicule!
Je ne pourrai bien sùr
rien chanter aujourd'hui
rien chanter aujourd'hui
Je ne sais pas vraiment quelle
fièvre me brûle
fièvre me brûle
Lorsqu'il me faut paraître
et chanter devant lui
et chanter devant lui
THE STUDENT ―
Mi, mi, so. - Music is
a ridiculous art!
a ridiculous art!
I can sing nothing well today
I do not really know
what fever burns me
what fever burns me
When I must appear
before him and sing.
before him and sing.
> <
No. 2
L'ÈLÈVE ―
Monsieur, décidément je vais
vous prendre en haine
vous prendre en haine
Vous et votre musique
et votre Rossini!
et votre Rossini!
L'ariette est atroce et j'en
ai la migraine
ai la migraine
Je ne veux plus vous
voir Monsieur Paganini.
voir Monsieur Paganini.
THE STUDENT ―
Sir, I will definitely make you hate
You and your music
and your Rossini!
and your Rossini!
The aria is atrocious
and I have a headache
and I have a headache
I never want to see you,
Mr. Paganini.
Mr. Paganini.
> <
No. 3
LE PROFESSEUR ―
L'art est Long, très long même,
a dit un très grand maitre
a dit un très grand maitre
C'est par l'effort que le talent
se fait connaître
se fait connaître
PROFESSOR ―
Art is Long, even very long,
said a great master
said a great master
This is the effort that
makes itself known
as talent!
makes itself known
as talent!
> <
No. 4
L'ÈLÈVE ―
Vous en parlez, Monsieur,
très doctoralement !
très doctoralement !
LE PROFESSEUR ―
Commençons, voulez-vous,
par quelques vocalises.
par quelques vocalises.
THE STUDENT ―
You speak, sir, very doctorally!
PROFESSOR
Start, if you will,
with some vocalizations.
with some vocalizations.
> <
No. 5
LE PROFESSEUR ―
Mais vous ne chantez pas ?
L'ÈLÈVE ―
Cela vous scandalise
Je vous écoute, vous jouez divinement !
PROFESSOR ―
But you are not singing?
THE STUDENT ―
Does this offend you
I listen to you, you play divinely!
> <
No. 6
L'ÈLÈVE ―
Tiens ! je me sens en voix;
Mi, mi, sol ... L'ariette
Mi, mi, sol ... L'ariette
Par vous accompagnée
est un chant d'alouette ..
est un chant d'alouette ..
THE STUDENT ―
Here! I feel in voice;
Mi, mi, sol ... The aria
Mi, mi, sol ... The aria
Accompanied by you is
like singing with a lark ..
like singing with a lark ..
> <
No. 7
LE PROFESSEUR ―
Pas mal ! Sons bien posés, mais vous manquez de flamme
Reprenons ce passage
et chantons tous les deux:
et chantons tous les deux:
― Oui, vous l'arrachez
a mon âme !
a mon âme !
Ce secret qu'ont trahi mes yeux ...
PROFESSOR ―
Not bad! Well set sounds,
but you miss the flame
but you miss the flame
Resume this passage
and sing both:
and sing both:
― Yes, you tear at my soul!
This secret has been betrayed by my eyes ...
> <
No. 8
L'ÈLÈVE ―
C'est là ce beau secret
que j'arrache à votre àme !
que j'arrache à votre àme !
Vous m'aimez ! -- Un baiser !...
Monsieur l'audacieux
Monsieur l'audacieux
Dites-moi maintenant que je
manque de flamme !
manque de flamme !
THE STUDENT ―
It is this beautiful secret
that tears your soul!
that tears your soul!
You love me! - A kiss ...
Mr Audacious
Mr Audacious
Tell me now that I lack flame!
> <
No. 9
LE PROFESSEUR ―
O joie. ô transport! ô bonheur!
Je veux être le Paganini
de ton cœur !
de ton cœur !
L'ÈLÈVE ―
Et mon cœur vibre avec délices
Sous vos baisers,
charmant complice !
charmant complice !
PROFESSOR ―
Oh joy. Oh transport! Oh joy!
I want to be the Paganini
of your heart!
of your heart!
THE STUDENT ―
And my heart vibrates with delight
Under your kisses,
my charming accomplice!
Under your kisses,
my charming accomplice!
> <
No. 10
MONSIEUR & MADAME ―
L'Hymen nous rend boudeurs: Pourquoi? Nous sommes fous
Si par hasard quelque
fausse note s'y glisse
fausse note s'y glisse
Recommençons notre duo; embrassons-nous !
MORALE:
Imitez leur exemple,
ô moroses époux.
ô moroses époux.
MR & MRS ―
Hymen [the Greek god of marriage] makes us sulky: Why? We are fools
If by chance some false note slips in
Let us begin our duo again;
let us kiss!
let us kiss!
MORAL:
Imitate their example,
O morose husband.
O morose husband.
> <
These ten postcards were each sent one at a time from Monte Carlo to Mademoiselle Marthe Simone of Trévoux, Ain, France in April 1904.
Please pardon my effort at French translation. All offers for a better English meaning accepted, merci!.
By a nice coincidence the Sepia Saturday theme this weekend fits very well with one of my family photographs from 63 years ago. I suppose we could call it the first official family photograph.
Félicitations to Madame and Monsieur Brubaker
for their many years of making music together.
And just in case they forgot the details. Here is the announcement published a few days later
in the Hanover PA Evening Sun.
in the Hanover PA Evening Sun.
13 comments:
What an amusing set of flirty postcards. And congrats to all the Brubakers. (My son-in-law is stationed at Fort Benning right now.)
Those postcards were great fun. Reminded me of a favorite English Music Hall song I used to sing called "Tuner's Opportunity" about a piano tuner who came frequently to tune a young lady's piano, or so they would have the neighborhood believe. :))
Charming postcards which match the prompt nicely as well as in keeping with your musical theme. Congratulations to the happy couple too.
Modern communcations are great but we have given up a lot to have this "progress". How lovely to receive a series of postcards like these. It's hard to cherish an email the way these cards would have been cherished.
A very entertaining set of postcards.
Tres amusant. Felicitations.
Oh joy! Oh transport! Post card #9 is my favorite, when things reach a crescendo moment. I think I'll call my husband Mr. Audacious from now on. Congratulations to your parents.
I wonder who was sending the postcards and why they chose these particular postcards
PROFESSOR : A perfect symphony, Mister Mike / You always give us posts we are sure to like.
Wow! Those postcards match the theme perfectly. Once again, I think the humour was somewhat lost in the translation though!
Love the postcards! The woman certainly has a spark of playfulness in her eyes.
I'm guessing that people wrote their own captions for these cards and I'm betting they were pretty naughty. The photos say one thing, the captions say another.
With that moral, I was expecting the postcards to have been sent or passed on to some disgruntled lady's husband, but no, Mademoiselle couldn't have been married. Amazing that she could be located with that very basic address.
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