Ah! vous dirai-je, maman

"Ah! vous dirai-je, maman" (French: [a vu diʁeʒ(ə) mamɑ̃]) 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 children's lyrics added relatively 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. (Charles de Lusse) published in Brussels, under the title "La Confidence naïve".^[3]

La confidence

The words of the nursery rhyme are 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 !

Translation

Ah! Would I tell you Mum,
What causes my torment?
Since I saw Clitandre,
Look at me with a tender air;
My heart says every moment:
"Can we live without a lover?"

The other day, in a grove,
He made a bouquet of flowers;
It's for my houlette
Telling me: "Beautiful brunette,
Flora is less beautiful than you;
Love less tender than me.

Being made to charm,
We must please, we must love;
It was in the spring of his age,
That it is said that one commits.
If you delay longer,
We regret these moments."

I blush and unfortunately
A sigh betrays my heart.
The cruel with skill,
Profited from my weakness:
Alas, Mama! a misstep
He drove me into his arms.

I did not have any support
Than my crook and my dog.
Love, wishing my defeat,
Dog aside and leadership;
Ah! That we taste of sweetness,
When love takes care of a heart!

Nursery rhyme lyrics

	Melody
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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.

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.

Appearances of the melody

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 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", the Greek "Φεγγαράκι μου λαμπρό" and the Turkish "Daha Dün Annemizin".

Several classical compositions have been inspired by this tune:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman" (K. 265 / K. 300e) (1781 or 1782)
Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je maman" in G major (Wf XII: 2) (BR A 45) (1st publ. ca. 1880)
Joseph Haydn, Symphony No. 94 (Surprise Symphony), second movement (andante) (1791); Haydn also quotes it The Seasons: Spring
Jean-Baptiste Cardon (1760–1803), Variations for harp on "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman"
Theodor von Schacht, 3rd movement (Allegretto con variazioni) of his clarinet concerto in B flat major
Franz Liszt, Album Leaf: "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman" (1833) (S.163b)
Johann Christian Heinrich Rinck, Variations and finale for organ on "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman", op. 90 (pub. 1828)
Adolphe Adam, Bravura Variations from the opera Le toréador (1849)
Camille Saint-Saëns, The Carnival of the Animals (1886), 12th movement (Fossiles) quotes the tune
Ernő Dohnányi, Variations on a Nursery Tune, Op. 25 (1914)
Erwin Schulhoff, Ten Variations on "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman" and Fugue
John Corigliano, The Mannheim Rocket
Harl McDonald, Children's Symphony, 2nd theme of 1st movement (Baa, Baa, Black Sheep variant) (1948)

References

↑ Henri Davenson, Le livre des chansons, Neuchâtel, Éditions de la Baconnière, 1944, p. 567.
↑ George List, "The Distribution of a Melodic Formula: Diffusion or Polygenesis?", Yearbook of the International Folk Music Council, v.10, (1978), pp. 33–52
↑ 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

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