The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #168841   Message #4078365
Posted By: Monique
05-Nov-20 - 02:55 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: La Mule (French)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: La Mule (French)
From the same album: "Les transformations". There are many songs on this theme as you can read on these Mudcat posts #1, #2. This one has been made up with lines from different songs of the same type.
LES TRANSFORMATIONS

J’ai fait une maîtresse y’a pas longtemps
J’irai la voir dimanche, dimanche j’irai
J’y ferai la demande à ma bien-aimée

Si tu me suis encore comme un amant
Je me ferai rose dans le rosier
De moi n’auras jamais aucune amitié

Si tu te fais la rose dans le rosier
Je m’ ferai l’abeille pour te baiser
J’embrasserai la belle tout à mon gré

Si tu te fais abeille pour me baiser
Je me ferai la caille volant aux blés
De moi n’auras jamais aucune amitié

Si tu te fais la caille volant aux blés
Je m’ ferai renard pour te croquer
Je croquerai la belle par amitié

Si tu te fais renard pour me croquer
Je me ferai la biche dans la forêt
De moi n’auras jamais aucune amitié

Si tu te fais la biche dans la forêt
Je prendrai la forme d’un bon chasseur
Je chasserai la belle d’un très bon cœur

Ah si tu prends la forme d’un bon chasseur
Je me ferai morte et enterrée
De moi n’auras jamais aucune amitié

Oh si tu t’y mets morte et enterrée
Je me mettrai poussière pour te couvrir
Je t’épouserai la belle morte ou en vie
THE TRANSFORMATIONS

I made a mistress not long ago
I'll go see her on Sunday, on Sunday I'll go
I'll propose to my beloved

If you still follow me as a lover
I will make myself a rose in the rosebush
From me you'll never get any love

If you make yourself the rose in the rosebush
I will make myself the bee to kiss you
I will kiss the fine girl as I like

If you make yourself the bee to kiss me
I'll make myself the quail flying in the wheat
From me you'll never get any love

If you make yourself the quail flying in the wheat
I'll make myself a fox to eat you
I will eat the fine girl out of love

If you make yourself a fox to eat me
I'll make myself the doe in the wood
From me you'll never get any love

If you make yourself the doe in the wood
I will take the form of a good hunter
I will hunt the fine girl cheerfully

Ah if you take the form of a good hunter
I'll make myself dead and buried
From me you'll never get any love

Oh if you make yourself dead and buried
I'll make myself dust to cover you
I'll marry you, fine girl, dead or alive
. "belle" literally means "beauty" but can be used to mean "fine girl", "sweetheart" or the like.
Note also that these lines belong to old songs in which "maitresse" didn't necessarily involve sex (as is the case today) but rather meant "sweetheart", "girlfriend". The verb "baiser" meant "to kiss", from the Latin "basiare" (Cf. Spanish "besar", Italian "baciare" etc.). Nowadays only the noun retains the original meaning, the verb now only means "to fuck".