Jovial Monk Am I, A

DESCRIPTION: "A jovial monk am I, Contented with my lot, The world without my gates I flout, Nor care for it one jot.... A contended mind is a blessing kind." Even as a monk, he can enjoy jokes and laughter, so he advises making the best of life
AUTHOR: from "La Poupée" (The Doll), with French libretto be Maurice Ordoneau and music by Edmond Audran; English translation by Arthur Sturgess (source: British Musical Theatre section of "The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive" web site)
EARLIEST DATE: 1896 (French version); 1897 (English version)
KEYWORDS: clergy | philosophy contentment
FOUND IN: Ireland
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Kane-SongsAndSayingsOfAnUlsterChildhood, pp. 166-167, "A jovial monk am I" (1 text)
Roud #25405
NOTES [127 words]: According to the British Musical Theatre web site, in "La Poupée," this was sung by Father Maxime; it is song 18, sung in Act II, Scene 2. Additional details can be found at the Wikipedia entry for "La Poupée." It apparently originated in a story by E. T. A. Hoffmann, about a monk who would earn an inheritance if he would marry by the age of 21. He wished to have the money for his monastery, so he set up a scheme to marry an android (called a "doll" in the musical) which a dollmaker would create to fool the uncle who offered the inheritance. But the android was not ready, so the dollmaker's daughter instead married the monk without him knowing. (Curiously, no one seems to explain what happened to the monk and the daughter once they were married.) - RBW
Last updated in version 6.5
File: KSUC166A

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