TROIS MARINS DE GROIX (French) Nous étions deux, nous étions trois (bis) Nous étions trois marins de Groix. Landéri-tra, lon lon la, Landéri-tra lon-lire. Mon matelot, le mouss' et moi, (bis) Embarqués sur le Saint-François Landéri-tra…. Pour aller de Belle-Île à Groix, (bis) Grand vent du nord vint à venter. En haut, en haut, beaux mariniers (bis) À prendre un ris dans les huniers, "Jean-Pierre, dis-je, matelot, (bis) À serrer d' la toil’, qu'il nous faut, Ce failli temps n' mollira pas, (bis) Je prends la barre, vas-y mon gars. " S'en est monté pour prendre un ris (bis) Un paquet d’ mer l'aura surpris… On n’a r’trouvé que son chapeau (bis) Son garde-pip’ et son couteau Au jour j’ai revu son sabot (bis) Qui flottait seul, là-bas sur l'eau, Sa pauvre maman s'en est allée (bis) Prier à Sainte Anne d'Auray. Sainte Anne, rendez-moi mon garçon (bis) Il était jeune, il était blond. Et Sainte Anne lui répondit : (bis) Tu le verras en paradis. Plaignez mon pauvre matelot (bis) Sa femme et ses trois petiots

THREE SEAMEN OF GROIX (Singable translation by Casey [Diplocase]) We were two, and we were three (x2) Three sailors out of Groix* were we My old shipmate, the lad and me (x2) Aboard the little St. François Homeward bound, Belle-Île to Groix (x2) Heavy north wind began to blow Aloft, aloft, my fine lads (x2) To take a reef in the tops’ls “We shorten sail, whate’er the cost, (x2) Old shipmate mine, you go aloft.” "This damned old wind will not let up (x2) I’ll take the tiller and you reef up." So up he went to shorten sail (x2) A wave then carried him over the rail His cap we found aboard the boat (x2) His knife and his tobacco pouch And at daybreak I caught a glimpse (x2) of one of his clogs, floating by itself on the sea His poor mother she went to pray (x2) To pray to Saint Anne of Auray** Saint Anne, give me back my boy (x2) So sweet and blonde, so very young And bless’d St. Anne made her reply: (x2) "You’ll see him again in paradise." Mourn for my poor shipmate (x2) His wife and his three little ones

*pronounced ~'Grwa'
**patron saint of Brittany

This song goes back to the late 1700's/early 1800's.
Belle-Île and Groix are two small islands off Auray coast, southern Brittany, ~15 miles from each other (~13 sea miles)

Slightly different version by Les Pirates
another one -
Mikaël Yaouank recording
Different chorus and different tune
Sheet music

Back to Index