| Lyrics | Poetic Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| Nous voyons que les hommes | We see that men get silly | |
| Font tous vertu d’aimer | And proud of having sex, | |
| Et, sottes que nous sommes, | But we are fools to shrilly | |
| Voulons l’amour blâmer. | Blame sex for these effects. | |
| Ce qui leur est louable | For men are praised for actions | |
| Nous tourne à déshonneur, | That lose us our good name, | |
| Faute inexcusable, | Untenable infractions: | |
| O dure loi d’honneur! | The law of brutal shame! | |
| Nature, plus qu’eux sage, | More wisely Natures serves us: | |
| Nous en a un corps mis | Our bodies were endowed | |
| Plus propre à cet usage | Much better for this purpose; | |
| Et nous est moins permis. | Yet we are less allowed. | |
| Jacques Arcadelt | Carol Anne Perry Lagemann |
See Mick Swithinbank's work at Choral Public Domain Library.