Looking for the lyrics to a song about bees

November 23, 2010 9:07 PM

Help me find the lyrics to the song Les abeilles by Léo Delibes (1836-1891).

I've been trying for a while but Google isn't cooperating. I first heard it on the album 'Nymphes & Fleurs' which I bought online w/o liner notes.

posted by Omon Ra to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

Best answer: OK, one site says the text is by Henri Murger, the man who wrote Scènes de la vie bohème.

This info led me to a Google book, and it's in scanned pages, not text. There are about half a dozen verses, the first of which reads like this:

En avril, lorsque la branche,
Que Mars a fait bourgeonner,
D'une étoile rose ou blanche
Commence à se fleuronner,
Le printemps nouveau réveille
Tout un peuple industrieux;
Aux fleurs du pêcher l'abeille
Prend son miel délicieux.

Does this sound like the right text?
posted by zadcat at 9:22 PM on November 23, 2010

In case it is, here's the link to the book.
posted by zadcat at 9:25 PM on November 23, 2010

Response by poster: Outstanding zadcat! I found the rest of the lyrics here.
posted by Omon Ra at 9:33 PM on November 23, 2010

I note that there's a reason Murger's name doesn't turn up in the roster of great French poets. Still, if he inspired Delibes, good on him.
posted by zadcat at 9:36 PM on November 23, 2010