Villanelle des petits canards

by Emmanuel Chabrier
Ils vont, les petits canards,
They go, the little ducks,
Tout au bord de la rivire,
All at the side of the river,
Comme de bons campagnards!
Like good country folk!
Barboteurs et frtillards,
Paddlers and wrigglers,
eureu! de troubler l"eau claire,
Happy to trouble the clear water,
Ils vont, les petits canards#
They go, the little ducks,
Ils semblent un peu $obards,
They seem a little silly,
%ais ils sont & leur affaire,
But they are at their business,
Comme de bons campagnards#
Like good country folk!
'ans l"eau pleine de ttards,
n the water full of tadpoles,
() tremble une herbe lgre,
!here light grass trembles,
Ils vont, les petits canards,
They go, the little ducks,
%archant par groupes pars,
"arching in separate groups,
'"une allure rgulire
n a regular pace
Comme de bons campagnards!
Like good country folk!
'ans le beau verd d"pinards
n the pretty spinach green
'e l"humide cressonnire
#f the humid cress$plot,
Ils vont, les petits canards,
They go, the little ducks,
Et *uoi *u"un peu goguenards,
And what, than a little mocking,
Ils sont d"humeur dbonnaire
They are of a good$natured mood,
Comme de bons campagnards!
Like good country folk!
+aisant, en cercles bavards,
"aking, in talkative circles,
,n vrai bruit de ptaudire,
A true bedlam of noise,
Ils vont, les petits canards,
They go, the little ducks,
'odus, lustrs et gaillards,
Plump, glossy and lively,
Ils sont gais & leur manire,
They are merry with their manner,
Comme de bons campagnards!
Like good country folk!
-moureu! et nasillards
Amorous and nasal,
Chacun avec sa commre
%ach one with its hearsay,
Ils vont, les petits canards,
They go, the little ducks,
Comme de bons campagnards!
Like good country folk!