The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #19219   Message #3971104
Posted By: Monique
11-Jan-19 - 11:39 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Marie Louise
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Marie Louise
Very literal translation of the 2nd version.

Marie-Louise left one day on the great road,
The first one she met was a great captain.

"Lord Captain, she said, would you enlist me
As a young man who wants to support the army?"

Marie-Louise was enlisted to go to the army
In the same guard corps as her sweetheart.

Marie-Louise would sing in the king's palace,
Dressed in boy's clothes; nobody recognized her.

As she came close to her seven years, Marie said one day,
"Lord Captain, she said, write down my leave,

Besides, I ask for a young man's leave,
A comrade of mine in the same regiment."

And then they wrote down two leaves for good,
One for Marie-Louise, another for her regimental comrade.

As she was getting close to this town, Marie-Louise asked,
"Didn't you have a beloved in this town?"

"I had, in this town, a sweet Louison,
Maybe she's ill or maybe dead…

Maybe she's ill or maybe dead,
Yes, or married to someone else and gone from home."

"Stop, Marie-Louise said, you're wrong
For I am Marie-Louise, your beloved.

For I am Marie-Louise, your beloved
And for seven years, I've been sleeping by your side."

"How that, Marie-Louise, you were in my regiment
And you let my poor heart in such a great agony?"

"I had for you a true fidelity,
I had even much more [fidelity] than for the Lord God."

You'll find the first version and other songs in this pdf

A rendition of the 2nd version. Another one (verses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7), another one and if you want to listen to only one this one is the one (full version).