C'ÉTAIT PAR UN LUNDI, JE M'EN FUS VOIR MA MIE (French) C'était par un lundi, je m'en fus voir ma mie Et là je la trouvis (1), céleste et endormie. Je lui ai fait le salut, la belle m'a répondu D'un air si hardiment : "J'y vois bien qu'à ta mine et qu'à ton air dolent L'y a du changement." Je lui ai demandé : "Qu'avez-vous donc la belle ?" Je lui ai demandé : "Qu'avez-vous donc Françoëse (Françoise) ?" "Je veux m'y marier, malgré ma volonté En seriez-vous d'accord ? Je veux m'y marier, sans m'y faire consentir J'aime mieux la mort, souffrir." "Oh de m'y marier, cela n'est point-z-un crime Car j' voudrais bien aller faire un p'tit tour en ville. Oh de m'y marier, cela n'est point-z-étrange Car j' voudrais bien aller faire un p'tit tour à Nantes. Auparavant d' partir, j' voudrais bien vous parler Une heure à mes plaisirs." "Vous savez quand on part, on reste dans l'oubli, Peut-être sans revenir. Cher amant je te dis, tu as le cœur volage Jamais je n'aurais cru qu' t'aurais eu le courage." "Allez dans nos jardins, le rossignol est là, Qu'il vous consolera Qui cherche vos amours, pourquoi les cherchez-vous ? Elles sont toutes proches de vous" RADdO : 06384.

IT WAS ON A MONDAY, I WENT TO SEE MY BELOVED It was on a Monday, i went to see my beloved/sweetheart And there I found her, celestial and asleep. I greeted her, she responded me In a so bold way "I can see from you face and your painful look That something has changed". I asked her "What's the matter, beauty?" I asked her "What's the matter Françoëse (Françoise)? "I want to get married, in spite of my will Would you agree? I want to get married, without having my consent, I'd rather die, suffer. "Oh, my getting married is no crime For I'd want to go to (wander in) the city Oh, my getting married is no strange For I'd want to go to (wander in) Nantes. Before leaving, I'd want to talk to you One hour, to my pleasure." "You know when we leave, we forget (lit. remain forgetting) Maybe we don't/won't come back. Dear lover/sweethear, I tell you, you have a fickle heart I'd never have thought you'd have the courage." "Go in our gardens, the nightingale is there, It'll comfort you, It'll look for your love, why do you look for it (your love) It's quite near you."

(1) "Je la trouvis" the correct form of the verb "trouver" in preterit tense is "trouvai" but sometimes in songs you find verbs conjugated with the termination of another group. The French verbs are classified in 3 groups, the ones ending in "er" in the infinitive but "aller" (1st group), those ending in "ir" with the present participle in -issant" (2nd group) all the others being in the 3rd group. Here, "trouver" has the termination of the 2nd group.

I find some lines unclear, I suppose that "I'd never have thought you'd have the courage" means "… the courage to tell me the truth about how you feel/the way your are".

You can hear the recording here

BACK TO LIST