090 - Et Nous Irons a Valparaiso


Here another French hauling shanty originally comes from Captain A. Hayet's version (Chansons de Board; 1927). Fortunately, I found the book by A. Hayet mentioned by Stan Hugill. This song is the combination of "Goodbye, Fare-ye-well" and "Blow The Man Down". Unusually consist of four solos and for refrains. H. Jacques says that this shanty was a traditional one among the seamen of the sailing ships which loaded saltpeter in Chilean ports, but the song is much older, potentially beginning of the nineteenth century, sang by whalers of the south seas.
In the comparison process, I did discover some of the musical notations were different than in Stan Hugill's book, so I took precedence of older sources, and for reconstruction used original notes from "Chansons de Board". This shanty I will try to reconstruct in the original version from Captain A. Hayet's "Chansons de Board".

"Shanties from the Seven Seas" by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 129).




Et Nous Irons a Valparaiso

Hardi! les gars, vire au guindeau
   - Good bye, farewell!
   - Good bye, farewell!
Hardi! les gars, adieu Bordeaux!
   - Hourra! oh! Mexico!
   - Oh! oh! oh!
Au Cap Horn il ne fera pas chaud
   - Haul away, he!
   - Oula tchalez!
A faire la peche au cachalot
   - Hal' matelot
   - He! ho! hisse he! ho!

       *2*
Plus d'un y laissere sa peau
   - Good bye, farewell!
   - Good bye, farewell!
Adieu misere, adieu bateau!
   - Hourra! oh! Mexico!
   - Oh! oh! oh!
Et nous irons a Valparaiso
   - Haul away, he!
   - Oula tchalez!
Ou d'autres laisseront leurs os
   - Hal' matelot
   - He! ho! hisse he! ho!

       *3*
Ceux qui r'viendront pavillon haut
   - Good bye, farewell!
   - Good bye, farewell!
C'est premier brin de matelot
   - Hourra! oh! Mexico!
   - Oh! oh! oh!
Pour la bordee ils seront a flot
   - Haul away, he!
   - Oula tchalez!
Bons pour le rack, la fille, le couteau
   - Hal' matelot
   - He! ho! hisse he! ho!