From A Bibliography of Alexandre Dumas père by Frank Wild Reed: Three regular eight-line stanzas, rhyming a, b. a, b, c, d, c, d.
These verses are a translation of Goethe's "Song of Mignon." In or about 1852 Dumas inscribed these lines in the album of Madame Van Hasselt, of Brussels. They were printed by L. Alvin, chief director of the Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique, in a study on "André Van Hasselt, His Life and His Works;" Brussels, Maquardt, 1877. He there claims that they were never previously printed, but, as M. Glinel points out, he is mistaken in this.
They certainly appeared in the romance "Les Mohicans de Paris," Chapter CXXVII., and must therefore be referred back to 1854 for a first appearance in print, since they were contained in the feuilleton of "Le Mousquetaire" for the 7th of December of that year, when "Les Mohicans de Paris" was running through its pages.
Later they again appeared in the drama of the same title, drawn from the romance : Act I., Tableau. III., Scene iii., where they were repeated by Suzanne de Valgeneuse (Mlle. Colombier).
They were set to music by A. de Mirecourt in 1865.
Once more they were reprinted in the "Journal de Monaco," for the 26th of November, 1866.
Yet another appearance was as "Mignon (Mélodie)," words imitated from Goethe, drawn from "Les Mohicans de Paris," by Alexandre Dumas, music by Edmond Membrée. Dedicated to Madame H. Bertaut. Published at Paris, "Le Ménestrel," 2 bis Rue Vivienne, Heugel et Cie.
