Ah! vous dirai-je, maman

Ah! vous dirai-je, maman is a popular children's song in France, which has had numerous lyrics on different themes since its composition in the 18th century. This song was popularized in Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

History

According to Henri-Irénée Marrou, the origin of the melody is an anonymous pastoral song dating from 1740, with childish words added "recently".[1] The melody was first published in 1761.[2] In 1774, the earliest known printed publication of the lyrics together with the music was in volume two of "Recueil de Romances" by M.D.L. (De Lusse) published in Brussels, under the title "La confidence naïve".[3]

As for the composition date of Mozart's Variations, for a time the variations were thought to have been composed in 1778, while Mozart stayed in Paris from April to September in that year, the assumption being that the melody of a French song could only have been picked up by Mozart while residing in France. For this presumed composition date, in the chronological catalogue of Mozart's compositions the composition was renumbered from K. 265 to K. 300e. Later analysis of Mozart's manuscript of the composition by Wolfgang Plath rather indicated 1781-1782 as the probable composition date.[4]

La Confidence

The words of the nursery rhyme is a parody of an anonymous love poem, La Confidence (The Confidence).

Ah ! vous dirai-je, maman,
Ce qui cause mon tourment ?
Depuis que j'ai vu Clitandre,
Me regarder d'un air tendre ;
Mon cœur dit à chaque instant :
« Peut-on vivre sans amant ? »

L'autre jour, dans un bosquet,
De fleurs il fit un bouquet ;
Il en para ma houlette
Me disant : « Belle brunette,
Flore est moins belle que toi ;
L'amour moins tendre que moi.

Étant faite pour charmer,
Il faut plaire, il faut aimer ;
C'est au printemps de son âge,
Qu'il est dit que l'on s'engage.
Si vous tardez plus longtemps,
On regrette ces moments. »

Je rougis et par malheur
Un soupir trahit mon cœur.
Le cruel avec adresse,
Profita de ma faiblesse :
Hélas, maman ! un faux pas
Me fit tomber dans ses bras.

Je n'avais pour tout soutien
Que ma houlette et mon chien.
L'amour, voulant ma défaite,
Ecarta chien et houlette ;
Ah ! qu'on goûte de douceur,
Quand l'amour prend soin d'un cœur !

Appearances of the melody
Tema
Tema of Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman", as interpreted by Mozart. piano solo
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Many songs in various languages have been based on the "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman" melody. In English, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", the "Alphabet Song", and "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" are all based on this melody. The melody also inspired the song "What a Wonderful World".[5]

The German Christmas carol "Morgen kommt der Weihnachtsmann", with words by Hoffmann von Fallersleben, also uses the melody, as does the Hungarian Christmas carol "Hull a pelyhes fehér hó", the Dutch "Altijd is Kortjakje ziek", the Spanish "Campanita del Lugar," and the Turkish "Daha Dün Annemizin."

Several classical compositions have been inspired by this tune:

Nursery rhyme lyrics

French:

Ah ! Vous dirai-je maman
Ce qui cause mon tourment?
Papa veut que je raisonne
Comme une grande personne
Moi je dis que les bonbons
Valent mieux que la raison.

English translation:

Oh! Shall I tell you, Mommy
What is tormenting me?
Daddy wants me to reason
Like a grown-up person,
Me, I say that sweets
Are worth more than reasoning

References

  1. ↑ Henri Davenson, Le livre des chansons, Neuchâtel, Éditions de la Baconnière, 1944, p. 567.
  2. ↑ George List, "The Distribution of a Melodic Formula: Diffusion or Polygenesis?", Yearbook of the International Folk Music Council, v.10, (1978), p. 33-52
  3. ↑ The chronology is based on an account by Bob Kosovsky, librarian at the Music Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, 2001
  4. ↑ Based on booklet notes by Robin Golding, 1991, for Daniel Barenboims Mozart: The Complete Piano Sonatas and Variations, EMI Classics 8 CD box No. 5 73915 2.
  5. ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatlife/8877033/Twinkle-twinkle-little-rip-off-the-dark-secrets-of-the-worlds-most-recognisable-tune.html

External links

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