The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #85422   Message #3631677
Posted By: Monique
09-Jun-14 - 10:03 AM
Thread Name: Tune Req: What's this French tune called?
Subject: RE: Tune Req: What's this French tune called?
There are different versions of this song and you can find the captains offering her a plant of vervein saying "if it blooms, you'll be queen". I suppose the plant symbolizes her fate.
Here is one of these versions from Gautero.com

C'était Anne de Bretagne, duchesse en sabots, (bis)
Revenant de ses domaines, en sabots, mirlitontaine.
Ah! ah! ah! Vivent les sabots de bois.

Entourée de châtelaines, duchesse en sabots, (bis)
Voilà qu'aux portes de Rennes, en sabots, mirlitontaine.
Ah! ah! ah! Vivent les sabots de bois.

L'on vit trois beaux capitaines, duchesse en sabots, (bis)
Offrir à leur souveraine, en sabots, mirlitontaine.
Ah! ah! ah! Vivent les sabots de bois.

Un joli pied de verveine, duchesse en sabots, (bis)
S'il fleurit, tu seras reine, en sabots, mirlitontaine.
Ah! ah! ah! Vivent les sabots de bois.

Elle a fleuri la verveine, duchesse en sabots, (bis)
Anne de Bretagne, reine, en sabots, mirlitontaine.
Ah! ah! ah! Vivent les sabots de bois.

Les Bretons sont dans la peine, duchesse en sabots, (bis)
Ils n'ont plus de souveraine, en sabots, mirlitontaine.
Ah! ah! ah! Vivent les sabots de bois.

Ils n'ont plus de souveraine, duchesse en sabots, (bis)
C'était Anne de Bretagne, en sabots, mirlitontaine.
Ah! ah! ah! Vivent les sabots de bois.

Literal, rough translation:

It was Anne de Bretagne, duchess in clogs/ coming back from her domains/ in clogs / Long live wooden clogs.
Surrounded by manor ladies / and at the gates of Rennes...
One could see three captains / offer to their sovereign...
A pretty plant of vervain / "If it blooms, you'll be queen"...
The vervein bloomed / Anne de Bretagne is queen...
The Bretons are in sorrow / they have no more sovereign...

Anne de Bretagne was forbidden by her husband king Charles VIII to bear her title of duchess of Brittany. After her death, Brittany became a part of the French kingdom when her daughter married King Francis I.