This song represents Francis Poulenc's only return to the poetry of Ronsard after his Four Poems of Ronsard of a decade earlier. Of that set, he had said the cover design by Picasso was the best thing about it. Poulenc's recital partner, Pierre Bernac, thought this set was over-intellectualized, as Poulenc was busy enlarging his compositional technique at the time, and fellow composer Georges Auric told Poulenc he had not "been himself" when he wrote them.

However, this song does not share the relative weakness of its companions. It is a rich-sounding evocation of the French Renaissance, charming and sad.

Poulenc wrote it to be sung in a play, Le Reine Margot, by Edouard Bourdet. It told about the loves of Margaret of Valois, Queen of France until her husband, Henri IV, repudiated her. Poulenc's incidental music became the successful orchestral piece Suite Française. The suite included no vocal music, so Poulenc published this song separately. (He reveals in Diary of My Songs that he also orchestrated this song, but lost the score of the orchestration.)

The song was written for the lead actress in the play, Yvonne Printemps, who had talents as a singing actress. Poulenc takes care not to make the song virtuosic or throw in needless complications. The resulting simplicity is a major part of its charm and helps establish its dreamy, impromptu mood.

The song is for high voice with guitar or harp. (In the play, a harp was used; the song can be performed with piano as an option as well).

Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585) was one of the founders of modern French literature. Much of his poetry is concerned with love, particularly his late songs of unrequited love for Hélène, a lady-in-waiting in the court of Catherine de Medici. In this song, Queen Margaret addresses her guitar, which she credits with aiding her ability to deceive: "I deceive, I break off, I enchant the loves that I receive."

The two and a half minute song has an archaic quality. Its accompaniment is set fairly low, making a dark quality that enhances the song's melancholy. Its archaic mood results from Poulenc's use of old modes and parallel chords and the song is in three parts, with the first verse repeated. There is also an improvisatory-sounding passage in the accompanying instrument to begin and end the song. This rather strange music is a major part of the spell of beauty this song casts. Poulenc's master interpreter, Pierre Bernac, recommends, in his Francis Poulenc: The Man and His Songs, taking the repeat pianissimo rather than the original loudness of piano and counsels, above all, to achieve a legato and "beautiful phrasing."

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