The French poem, "Ceux qui sont amoureux" was written by French poet Joachim du Bellay (1522 – 1560). You can listen to the poem below and read along with the original text, followed by an English translation…

MP3 of Ceux qui sont amoureux

Ceux qui sont amoureux

Ceux qui sont amoureux, leurs amours chanteront,
Ceux qui aiment l’honneur, chanteront de la gloire,
Ceux qui sont près du roi, publieront sa victoire,
Ceux qui sont courtisans, leurs faveurs vanteront,

Ceux qui aiment les arts, les sciences diront,
Ceux qui sont vertueux, pour tels se feront croire,
Ceux qui aiment le vin, deviseront de boire,
Ceux qui sont de loisir, de fables écriront,

Ceux qui sont médisants, se plairont à médire,
Ceux qui sont moins fâcheux, diront des mots pour rire,
Ceux qui sont plus vaillants, vanteront leur valeur,

Ceux qui se plaisent trop, chanteront leur louange,
Ceux qui veulent flatter, feront d’un diable un ange :
Moi, qui suis malheureux, je plaindrai mon malheur.

English Translation:

Those who are in love, will sing their love,
Those who love honor, will sing of glory
Those who are close to the king, will declare his victory,
Those who are courtiers, will boast about their favors…

Those who love the arts, will speak of science,
Those who are virtuous, will be believed as such,
Those who love wine, will chat about drinking,
Those who have free time, will write fables…

Those who are slanderous, will delight in slander,
Those who are less unpleasant, will say words for laughter,
Those who are more valiant, will boast of their value…

Those who like themselves too much, will sing their own praise,
Those who want to flatter, will make a devil an angel:
I, who am unhappy, I will lament my unhappiness.

Recited by Millianna.

Translated by Lisa Yannucci.

Many thanks to Monique Palomares for shedding light on the nuances of some French terms in the poem.

Monique works with me on the French and Spanish versions of Mama Lisa’s World.