Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
France: Vols. IX–X. 1876–79.
Val de Vire
By Jean le Houx (15511616)S
Did our fathers cheer;
Basselin unwritten lays
Improvised by ear;
Vocal stanzas, very sweet,
Which they ever since repeat
In the Val de Vire,
O gay!
In the Val de Vire.
Was old Vaudevire;
Born beside the water’s edge,—
Cruel tale to hear!
But he all the better trolled
Love that ’s young, and wine that ’s old,
In the Val de Vire,
O gay!
In the Val de Vire.
Self-willed child was he;
He resolved to go, one morn,
Paris town to see;
He left off his Norman name,
One of noble rank to claim,
Maître Vaudeville,
O gay!
Maître Vaudeville.
Caught the taste and style;
His fine talent town and court
Often would beguile,
And, with sharply pointed wit,
Frondeurs, Mazarins, would hit:
That good Vaudeville,
O gay!
That good Vaudeville.
His song’s plastic mould;
La Vallière and Villeroy,
Love and Fame he told;
All that stately age went past,
His peruke there dancing fast
To wine-music old,
O gay!
To wine-music old.
Fashioned in her school,
France, of joy, and love, and wine,
Frantic, served the rule;
He, beneath the lively sway
Of the volatile Collé,
Played in song the fool,
O gay!
Played in song the fool.
Is dramatic wit:
Going on the stage to sing,
He made quite a hit;
And, not fearing hiss or groan,
Stanzas in unfaltering tone
Spouted to a pit,
O gay!
Spouted to a pit.
Was La Foire awhile;
All the audience, folks glad
Just to drink and smile:
With Panard, in frankest ways,
He sang rustic roundelays,
Aping no fine style,
O gay!
Aping no fine style.
Owned, in times of late,
He retained his tone the same,
And changed not his state:
With Merle and Desaugiers,
And a host as good as they,
Quite regenerate,
O gay!
Quite regenerate.
Songs of love and fame,—
Sang of wines of vintage old,
And Love’s youngest flame.
To his deft Horatian stave
Violins sweet music gave,
Cruel girls to shame,
O gay!
Cruel girls to shame.
Master-mind was he
Higher the stage-tone to rear,
Erst too light and free.
On the next page you will learn
How he gave a novel turn
To old Vaudeville,
O gay!
To old Vaudeville.