This song has already been posted on Mudcat but had no translation posted. So here it is again with a literal one.

PERRINE ÉTAIT SERVANTE (French) Perrine était servante, (x2) Chez Monsieur le curé, digue don da dondaine Chez Monsieur le curé, digue don da dondé ! Son amant vint la vouère (x2) Un soir après l' dîner... Perrine, ô ma Perrine (x2) J' voudrais-ti bien t' biser Oh ! grand nigaud, qu' t'es bête ! (x2) Ça s' prend sans s' demander !... V'là M'sieur l' curé qu'arrive (x2) Où j' vas-ti bien t' cacher ? ... Cache-té dedans la huche ! (x2) I' saura pas t' trouver ! ... Il y resta six s'maines (x2) Elle l'avait oublié ! ... Au bout de six semaines (x2) Les rats l'avaient bouffé ! ... Z' avaient rongé son crâne (x2) Et puis tous ses doigts de pied ... On fit creuser son crâne (x2) Pour faire un bénitier... On fit monter ses jambes (x2) Pour faire un chandelier... Voilà la triste histoire (x2) D'un jeune homme à marier... Qu'allait trop voir les filles (x2) Le soir après l' dîner ! ...

PERRINE WAS A SERVANT MAID Perrine was a servant maid, (x2) At the priest's house, digue don da dondaine At the priest's house, digue don da dondé! Her lover came to see her (x2) One evening after dinner... Perrine, oh my Perrine (x2) I would like to kiss you Oh! big booby, how stupid you are! (x2) It's taken without asking  !... Here comes the priest (x2) Where am I going to hide you? ... Hide in the bread bin! (x2) He won't be able to find you! ... He stayed there six weeks (x2) She had forgotten about him! ... After six weeks (x2) The rats had eaten him! ... They'd gnawed his skull (x2) And then all his toes... His skull was hollowed out (x2) To make a stoup... His legs were put up (x2) To make a candle holder... That's the sad story (x2) Of a marriageable young man... Who was going to see the girls too much (x2) On the evenings after dinner! ...

On 08/05/02, Joe posted the notes I'd sent him about this song but here they are again with some edition:

Here is the version I have on different books (and the way I learned it) with accents and all.
On the second verse, the spelling "vouère" reflects the old pronounciation of the "oi" spelling now pronounced [wa] though the aperture of the [a] varies from a wide open "a" in the South to a rather closed "é" in some parts of France and tends to "o" in other parts. So it's no real clue to trace it back but it's said to be from the 19th century.
"Cache-té" is "Cache-toi" (Hide /Hide yourself) for the same reason.
The "ti" (2nd, 5th verse) is a popular particle added after the verb in questions (J'y vas-ti, j'y vas-ti pas?) in some areas.
The conjugation "je vas" (5th verse) is also popular (standard "je vais"), so is saying "i" instead of "il" before consonant (i' saura pas t' trouver),
9th verse: the "z" (z'avaient rongé...) is what remains from the original liaison "ils_avaient"

Note also that "Monsieur le curé" is the formal way to address or to speak about a catholic priest. We use "Monsieur le..." to address or speak about a mayor, a president, a secretary/minister... etc. "Madame la ..." is used for a woman.
"bouffé" is slang for "eaten".
This song originated in Western France. Different variants have been collected from Poitou to High Britanny.
The song as we know it now has been popularized by Les Compagnons de la Chanson (1946) and is quite recent.

Recording by Anne Sylvestre
Recording by Les compagnons de la chanson
Live rendition by Les compagnons de la chanson at their beginnings.


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