le cocu [English translation]

As she doesn’t much like being alone,

While I’m fishing and ennobling myself,

my wife indulges in1 her old habit2

of granting the honours of my bed to all comers. (twice)

Oh! Yes, I’m a cuckold, I’ve got bits of stag on my head,

people spoil my marriage with their wicked acts,

my wife no longer invites me to the party

when she’s going to take a trip to the seventh heaven. (twice)

Causing peril to my heart, the unfortunate woman chips away

at the conjugal pact and makes it more and more worthless to me,

that I no longer know which of her lovers to stick my horns in first

certainly seems to be the least of her worries. (twice)

Would-be lovers, all sorts of them, come to drink from my glass,

I am the good luck for these furtive cheats,

behind my back they harvest the tender primrose

which held pride of place in my basket of flowers. (twice)

On returning worn out by angling

I surprise them stark naked in their misbehaviour.

Counsel them to wear a fig leaf,

they’ll very stubbornly refuse to do so. (twice)

Soiling my mariage bed, does that prevent them

from maintaining an appearance of civility?

Let them at least ask me if I had good fishing,

let them deign to ask after my health. (twice)

For heaven’s sake, a minumum of proper consideration

for this poor husbad that they’re covering in saffron3!

People normally cherish a cuckold, they spoil him,

When all’s said and done we are all sort of related. (twice)

At meal times my detestable rivals

brazenly have the cheek to eye my share!

It wouldn’t scare them to sit down at my table.

A cuckold if you like, but not Amphitryon4. (twice)

Sharing your better half, does that really imply

that you also share your food and drink and good cheer?

I’m almost obliged to throw them out,

and well pleased if they don’t carry off my fish, (twice)

well pleased that when leaving these boors don’t go out of their way

to extend their disgraceful behaviour to the very limit

by whistling “He’s a cuckold, the station master...”5

because the stationmaster, he’s my best friend. (twice)

1. literally “sacrifices to”; maybe it means “devotes herself to2. ”old” may mean “pre-marital” here3. yellow is the colour that the French associate with cuckolds, and saffron is yellow4. Greek myth: a prince who was doubly cheated by Zeus, who abused his hospitality both by impregnating his wife and by eating his food5. a popular French song, to a tune by Shosatkovich, words by Jack Harris