The Education of Young Ladies

From “Songs”

WHAT! this Monsieur de Fénélon

The girls pretend to school!

Of Mass and needlework he prates;

Mama, he’s but a fool.

Balls, concerts, and the piece just out,

Can teach us better far, no doubt:

Tra la la la, tra la la la,

Thus are young ladies taught, Mama!

Let others mind their work; I’ll play,

Mama, the sweet duet,

That for my master’s voice and mine

Is from Armida set.

If Rénaud felt love’s burning flame,

I feel some shootings of the same:

Tra la la la, tra la la la,

Thus are young ladies taught, Mama!

Let others keep accounts; I’ll dance,

Mama, an hour or two;

And from my master learn a step

Voluptuous and new.

At this long skirt my feet rebel;

To loop it up a bit were well.

Tra la la la, tra la la la,

Thus are young ladies taught, Mama!

Let others o’er my sister watch;

Mama, I’d rather trace—

I’ve wondrous talent—at the Louvre

The Apollo’s matchless grace:

Throughout his figure what a charm!

’Tis naked, true—but that’s no harm!

Tra la la la, tra la la la,

Thus are young ladies taught, Mama!

Mama, I must be married soon,

Even fashion says no less;

Besides, there is an urgent cause,

I must, Mama, confess.

The world my situation sees—

But there they laugh at scrapes like these.

Tra la la la, tra la la la,

Thus are young ladies taught, Mama!