I sang this song for my voice teacher, using an English translation of the French version, ca 1775. I felt then, and I still feel, that it was cobbled together. It may be the oldest version we know of, but the chorus has flowing, even lilting feel to it, and the verses seem stilted and clumsy. It's hard to believe that the same person composed both parts.

If there were concertinas in 1775, then I suspect Martini of stealing it from an anonymous, impecunious, itinerant concertina player,