The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #130522   Message #3078943
Posted By: Monique
20-Jan-11 - 06:00 PM
Thread Name: The French 'Voice of the People' set
Subject: RE: The French 'Voice of the People' set
QUAND DIEU NAQUIT À NOËL
(French) - Carol

Quand Dieu naquit à Noël
Dans la Palestine
On vit ce jour solennel
Une joie divine.
Il n'était ni petit, ni grand
Qui n'apportait son présent

Et no, no, no, no
Et n'offrit frit, frit
Et no no et n'offrit
Et n'offrit sans cesse
Toute sa richesse.
(bis)

L'un apportant un agneau
Avec un grand zèle
L'autre un peu de lait nouveau
Au fond d'une écuelle
Et sous ses pauvres habits
Chacun un peu de pain bis

Pour la, la, la, la
Pour la sain, sain, sain
Pour la, la pour la sain
Pour la sainte Vierge
Et Joseph concierge.
(bis)

Ce bon père putatif
De Jésus mon maître
Que le pasteur plus chétif
Désirant connaître
D'un air obligeant et doux
Recevant le don de tous

Sans cé cé cé cé
Sans ré ré ré ré
Sans cé cé, sans ré ré
Sans cérémonie
Pour le fruit de vie.
(bis)

RADdO : 05446.
WHEN GOD WAS BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY


When God was born on Christmas day
In Palestine,
They saw on this solemn day
A divine joy.
There was no child, no grown-up
Who did not bring their present

And di-, di- di-
And didn't bestow, tow, tow,
And di-di and didn't bestow
And didn't bestow without stopping (1)
All their wealth.
(twice)

One bringing a lamb
With great zeal,
Another a little milk freshly milked
At the bottom of a bowl
And under their poor clothes,
Every one a little brown bread.

For the, the, the, the,
For the ho, ho, ho,
For the, the, for the ho,
For the holy Virgin
And Joseph the porter.
(twice)

This good putative father
Of Jesus, my master,
Whom the puniest shepherd
Wanted to know
With a grateful and sweet look,
Received the donation of all.

Without ce- ce- ce- ce-
Without re- -re– re –re-
Without ce- ce-, without re- re-
Without ceremony
For the fruit of life. (2)
(twice)
(1) The grammatical structure of French and English being so different, it's difficult to put it the same way. Here the verb in the negative is split in two "n'offrit" but you can't have "no bes – towed" in English. This is valid for the two other verses built the same way.
(2) Though being literal, the translation of the two last verses makes grammatically more sense than the original.

You probably know a more or less similar tune as Jamaica (some info) but I know it as the tune to the cordelles dance (article about this dance -in Fr. only, scroll down to half the page)


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