The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #107893   Message #4077077
Posted By: Monique
28-Oct-20 - 05:39 AM
Thread Name: Origins: La Fille d'un Avocat/I Went to the Market
Subject: RE: Origins: La Fille d'un Avocat/I Went to the Market
Versions that you'll find at the links I gave above but as links sometimes go dead, here there are with an English translation -as usual, literal translations though not word-to-word (my English is not that great but not that bad either, at least I hope so!)

From here
By Nossent, a version said to be "Chanson populaire normande" (Normand folk song) by the title of "Ma mère m'a mariée"

Ma mère m'a mariée
Lariraponpon
Ma mère m'a mariée
Au fils d'un avocat
Ah ah ah ah
Au fils d'un avocat

La première nuit d' nos noces [variante : La première nuit d' mes noces]
Lariraponpon
La première nuit d' nos noces [variante : La première nuit d' mes noces]
Avec lui je coucha
Ah ah ah ah
Avec lui je coucha

Il tire la couverture
Lariraponpon
Il tire la couverture
Moi je tirai le drap
Ah ah ah ah
Moi, je tirai le draps

J'appelai la servante
Lariraponpon
J'appelai la servante
Marguerite, es-tu là ?
Ah ah ah ah
Marguerite, es-tu là ?

Va-t'en dire à ma mère
Lariraponpon
Va-t'en dire à ma mère
Que je suis au trépas
Ah ah ah ah
Que je suis au trépas

Ma mère qu'était ben fine
Lariraponpon
Ma mère qu'était ben fine
S'en vint à petits pas
Ah ah ah ah
S'en vint à petits pas

Courage, courage, ma fille [variante : Console-toi, ma fille]
Lariraponpon
Courage, courage, ma fille [variante : Console-toi, ma fille]
On n'en meurt pas pour ça [variante : Va, tu n'en mourras pas]
Ah ah ah ah
On n'en meurt pas pour ça [variante : Va, tu n'en mourras pas]

Car si j'en étais morte
Lariraponpon
Car si j'en étais morte
Tu ne serais pas là
Ah ah ah ah
Tu ne serais pas là

Ni toi ni un p'tit frère [variante : T'eus encore un p'tit frère]
Lariraponpon
Ni toi ni un p'tit frère [variante : T'eus encore un p'tit frère]
Que ton père ne l' sait pas [variante : Que ton père ne sait pas]
Ah ah ah ah
Que ton père ne l' sait pas [variante : Que ton père ne sait pas]
My mother married me off
Lariraponpon
My mother married me off
To a lawyer's* son
Ah ah ah ah
To a lawyer's son

On our first wedding night [variant: On my first wedding night]
Lariraponpon
On our first wedding night [variant: On my first wedding night]
With him I slept
Ah ah ah ah
With him I slept

He drew the blanket
Lariraponpon
He drew the blanket
I drew the sheet
Ah ah ah ah
I drew the sheet

I called the maid
Lariraponpon
I called the maid
Margaret, are you here?
Ah ah ah ah
Margaret, are you here?

Go tell my mother
Lariraponpon
Go tell my mother
That I'm dying
Ah ah ah ah
That I'm dying

My mother who was very smart
Lariraponpon
My mother who was very smart
Came with small steps
Ah ah ah ah
Came with small steps

Stay strong, stay strong, daughter [variant : Take comfort, daughter]
Lariraponpon
Stay strong, stay strong, daughter [variant: Take comfort, daughter]
Nobody dies of that [variant: Come on, you won't die of it]
Ah ah ah ah
Nobody dies of that [variant: Come on, you won't die of it]

'Cause if I'd died of it
Lariraponpon
'Cause if I'd died of it
You wouldn't be here
Ah ah ah ah
You wouldn't be here

Neither you nor your young brother [variant : You still had a young brother]
Lariraponpon
Neither you nor your young brother [variant : You still had a young brother]
That your father doesn't know of [variant: That you father doesn't know]
Ah ah ah ah
That your father doesn't know of [variant: That you father doesn't know]
*A French "avocat" is a lawyer= lawyer, solicitor, attorney, barrister…