Mignonne, allons voir si la rose

from the CD "Divine Amarillis", by the Mignarda lute song duo (Donna Stewart & Ron Andrico)

Mignonne allons voir si la rose, a song of seduction from the poetry of Pierre Ronsard, is found only as a single melody line in its original setting (Jehan Chardavoine, Recueil de chansons en forme de voix de ville, 1576). In reconstructing a plausible rendition, we discovered that the tune works perfectly with minor adjustments to Adrian Le Roy's Passemeze harmonization. Since LeRoy set several other poems by Ronsard in a similar manner, we feel our setting is historically justifiable and we trust it is eminently listenable.

Translation (by Donna Stewart)
Let’s go, my dear, and see whether the rose
Which this morning uncovered
its purple garment to the sun
has now at evening
lost any of the folds of that garment,
or any of its color that resembles your own.

But see, alas! How in so brief a time,
My dear, the rose has let fall
Its beauties upon the ground.
Nature is truly a wicked stepmother
If such a flower lasts only
From morning till night.

So then, my dear, if you believe me:
While your time of life is in bloom
In its freshest green,
Go and harvest your youth;
For as with this flower, old age
Will wither your beauty.

More information at http://www.mignarda.com