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User Name Thread Name Subject Posted
Monique Lyr Add: Mudcat singaround songs NOT in English (396* d) RE: Lyr Add: Mudcat singaround songs NOT in English 03 Mar 25


I kept the thee-thy / you-your difference in the translation to show the difference of treatment.

LA PORCHERONNE (French)

C'est le prince d'Orange voulait s'y marier
À une demoiselle qui a pas quinze ans passés

Mais le soir de ses noces une lettre est arrivée
Il faut partir en guerre servir le roi français

À qui donc donnerai-je ma mignonne à garder
Mon fils, lui dit sa mère, je te la garderai

Je la mettrai en chambre, je la ferai filer
Aussi bien que mes filles je te la soignerai

Dès qu'il fut à la guerre, les porcs l'envoie garder
Et bien sept ans sans rire, sans rire et sans chanter

Au bout de sept années, elle s'est prise à chanter
Son mari qui est en guerre s'est mis à l'écouter

– O page, mon beau page, j’entends ma mie chanter.
Allez, tournons la bride ! Vitement faut y aller !

– Petite porcheronne, quels pourceaux vous gardez ?
– Sont au Prince d’Orange, à la guerre est allé.

– Petite porcheronne, ramenez vos pourceaux !
– Mes fusées sont point faites ainsi que mon fagot.

– Quittez donc vos fusées, vot’ fagot je ferai.
Il a tiré son sabre, son faix a fagoté.

– Petite porcheronne, où pourrai-je y loger ?
– Chez le Prince d’Orange, pourrez vous arrêter.

– Bonsoir, Madam’ l’hôtesse, pourriez-vous me loger ?
– Entrez, entrez dit-elle, j’ai un lit pour coucher.

– Dites-moi donc, Madame, qu’y a-t-il pour souper ?
– Des perdrix, des bécasses, pigeons, si vous souhaitez.

Mais quand il fut à table, à table pour souper,
Il demande une femme avec lui pour coucher.

– Je ne donn’ pas mes filles avec vous pour coucher.
Prenez la porcheronne dans le coin du foyer !

– Petite porcheronne, allez, si vous voulez !
– Mon mari est en guerre, dit-elle, épleurée.

– Où sont passées les robes que je t’avais données
Il y a sept ans, ma belle, quand je m’en suis allé ?

– Ta mère, ma bell’-mère, ell’ me les a ôtées.
À ta sœur, la cadette, ell’ les a fait porter.

– Où sont passées les bagues que je t’avais données
Il y a sept ans, ma belle, quand je m’en suis allé ?

– Ta mère, ma belle-mère, ell’ me les a ôtées.
À ta sœur (e), l’ainée, ell’ les a fait porter.

– Si vous n’étiez ma mère, je vous ferais brûler
À votre tour, ma mère, pourceaux vous soignerez !

THE SWINEHERDESS

The Prince of Orange wanted to get married
To a young lady who is not yet fifteen

But on the night of his wedding a letter arrived
He must go to war to serve the French king

"To whom shall I give my darling to look after?"
"My son", his mother said to him," I will look after her for thee.

I will put her in a room, I will have her spin
As well as my daughters I will look after her for thee."

As soon as he was at war, she (the m-i-l) sent her to tend the pigs
Well, seven years without laughing, without laughing and without singing

After seven years, she began to sing
Her husband who is at war began to listen to her

"O page, my fine page, I hear my darling sing.
Come on, let's turn the bridle! We must go quickly!

"Little swineherdess, what pigs are you tending?"
"They're the Prince of Orange's, who's gone to war."

"Little swineherdess, bring back your pigs!"
"My spindles are not made as well as my bundle."

"Leave your spindles, I'll make your bundle.
He drew his saber, her bundle he bundled."

"Little swineherdess, where can I stay?"
"At the Prince of Orange’s you can stop."

"Good evening, Madam the hostess, could you put me up?"
"Come in, she said, I have a bed to sleep in."

"Tell me then, Madam, what is there for supper?"
– Partridges, woodcocks, pigeons if you wish."

But when he was at the table, at the table for supper,
He asks for a woman to sleep with him.

"I won’t give my daughters to sleep with you.
Take the swineherdess by the fireplace!"(within the area of the hearth)

"Little swineherdess, go, if you want!"
"My husband is at war", she said, in tears.

"Where have the dresses gone that I gave thee
Seven years ago, my dear, when I left?"

"Thy mother, my mother-in-law, she took them from me.
She made thy sister, the youngest, wear them."

"Where have the rings gone that I gave thee
Seven years ago, my dear, when I left?"

"Thy mother, my mother-in-law, she took them from me.
She made thy sister, the eldest, wear them."

"If you weren’t my mother, I’d have you burned
Now it’s your turn, mother, the pigs you’ll tend!"
There are many versions of this song collected all over France. (Breton versions. The husband can be "Le prince d'Orange" or "Guillaume de Beauvoir" or Petit Pied-Blanc. Sometimes he entrusted his wife to his mother, sometimes to his brother but the story is the same.
Recording by the late Jean-François Dutertre

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