Hi all,

I have a recording by a Vermont group, Jeter Le Pont, of this song, which I want to sing with my new trio. But I can't make out half the words. Can anyone help? (Yes, 'Spaw, I searched the digitrad and the forum before posting this!)

The verses are structured with repeating lines, which Jeter Le Pont sang in overlapping fashion. I don't know if that's traditional or just their arrangement. The repeating lines which are the same from verse to verse are "o gai vive la rose" and "vive la rose et le lilas". The structure of each verse looks like this:

line 1
o gai vive la rose
line 1 repeated
o gai vive la rose
line 2
vive la rose et le lilas
line 2 repeated
vive la rose

It's the line 1s and line 2s that I'm having trouble understanding.

From what I can make out of the words, it's the story (all too common, alas!) of a young woman deserted by her lover for another "bien plus riche que moi". I think the lover takes ill and dies, but for all I can tell it may be the protagonist herself who withers away for the loss of her love. Oh well, it's a pretty song, anyway!

Can anyone help?

Turtle