La terre les eaux va buvant

Settings by composers

• Fabrice Caietain
• Guillaume Costeley SATB
• Orlando di Lasso SAATB
• Etienne du Tertre

Text and translations

French text La terre les eaux va buvant, L'arbre les boit par sa racine, La mer éparse boit le vent, Et le soleil boit la marine. Le soleil est bu de la lune, Tout boit soit en haut ou en bas, Suivant cette règle commune, Pourquoi donc ne boirons-nous pas?

English translation (literal) Earth goes drinking the waters, the tree drinks them through its roots, the wide sea drinks the wind and the sun drinks the ocean. The sun is drunk by the moon; all drink, be they high or low. Following this common rule, why then don't we have a drink?

English translation (verse) The Earth drinks water if you please, The tree drinks the same through its roots, The sea for its part drinks the breeze, And the sun drinks the sea when it suits. The sun’s also drunk by the moon, Everything drinks, lowly or grand, So following this common tune, Shouldn’t we drink what’s on hand? Translation by Thomas Daughton