Susanne un jour

General information

Lyricist: Guillaume Guéroult

Settings by composers

Original French text

• Jean de Castro
• Severin Cornet
• Noé Faignient
• Claude Le Jeune
• Orlando di Lasso
• Didier Lupi second
• Philippe de Monte
• Cipriano de Rore
• Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck
• Geert van Turnout

English translations

• Susanna fair some time assaulted was (William Byrd) 1588, a5
• Susanna fair some time assaulted was (William Byrd) 1589, a3
• Susanna fair some time of love (Giles Farnaby)
• Susanna fair whom lying lips (Alfonso Ferrabosco I)

German translation

• Susannen fromm (Orlando di Lasso)

Text and translations

French text Susanne un jour d'amour solicitée par deux viellardz, convoitans sa beauté, fut en son coeur triste et desconfortée, voyant l'effort fait à sa chasteté. Elle leur dict, Si par desloyauté de ce corps mien vous avez jouissance, c'est fait de moy. Si je fay resistance, vous me ferez mourir en deshonneur. Mais j'aime mieux périr en innocence, que d'offenser par peché le Seigneur.

English translation One day, Susanne's love was solicited by Two old men coveting her beauty. She became sad and displeased in her heart, Seeing the attempt at her chastity. She said : 'If, dishonourably, From my body you take pleasure, This is done to me. If I resist, You would make me die in disgrace. But I would rather perish innocent, Than to offend the Lord with a sin.