Le sommeil de l'enfant
Le sommeil de l'enfant
The Child's Sleep
Berceuse
Lullaby
(French)
(English)
Petit enfant déjà la brune,
Autour de la maison s'étend :
On doit dormir quand vient la lune,
Petit enfant, petit enfant.
Petit enfant dans la chaumière
Les moutons rentrent en bêlant :
De tes yeux bleus clos la paupière,
Petit enfant, petit enfant.
Petit enfant, rêve aux pervenches
Qu'on trouve au sentier du torrent,
Rêve aux jolis oiseaux des branches,
Petit enfant, petit enfant.
Petit enfant, dors sans alarmes
Mais si quelque frayeur te prend,
Ta mère sèchera tes larmes,
Petit enfant, petit enfant.
Little child, dusk already
Spreads through the house:
All must sleep when the moon comes,
Little child, little child.
Little child, in the cottage,
The sheep come in a-bleating:
Close the lids of your blue eyes,
Little child, little child.
Little child, dream of the periwinkles
Found on the path by the stream,
Dream of the pretty birds on the branches,
Little child, little child.
Little child, sleep without fear,
But if some fear overtakes you,
Your mother will dry your tears,
Little child, little child.
Notes
The last line of each verse was originally written as "petit enfant" (not repeated).
Comments
Monique wrote, "I found this song in an old music book by Claude Augé who put this poem to music (tune on 1st midi). My mother used to sing this song with a totally different tune (tune on 2nd midi)."
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Translation by Monique and Lisa.
Merci beaucoup!
