The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #169209   Message #4208439
Posted By: Monique
16-Sep-24 - 02:10 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: Mudcat singaround songs NOT in English
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mudcat singaround songs NOT in English
"Sur la route de Dijon" is a military march from the 17th or 18th century, which became very popular in France in the 19th century. It was taken up by the military during the colonial wars.
The children's version generally removes the verse "Parait que tout le bataillon/La belle digue di/La belle digue don/Consola la Marjolaine" because of the bawdy nature of this passage, as you can hear in this rendition
Tradition has it that this is the Sainte-Anne Fountain, which was once outside the Dijon urban area and formed a charming stream that flowed into the Ouche river (tributary to the Saône, itself a tributary to the Rhône).
SUR LA ROUTE DE DIJON (French)

[Sur la route de Dijon,
La belle, diguedi, la belle, diguedon,] (x2)
Il y avait une fontaine, la diguedondaine,
Il y avait une fontaine, aux oiseaux, aux oiseaux.

[Près d'elle un joli tendron
La belle, diguedi, la belle, diguedon] (x2)
Pleurait comme une madeleine, la diguedondaine,
Pleurait comme une madeleine, aux oiseaux, aux oiseaux

Par là passe un bataillon….
Qui chantait à perdre haleine, la diguedondaine...

Belle, comment vous nomme-t-on ?
On me nomme Marjolaine..

Marjolaine c'est un doux nom,
S'écria-t-un capitaine...

Marjolaine qu'avez-vous donc ?
Messieurs j'ai beaucoup de peine...

Paraît que tout l' bataillon,
Consola la Marjolaine...

Si vous passez par Dijon,
Allez boire à la fontaine...
ON THE ROAD TO DIJON

[On the road to Dijon,
The beauty, diguedi, the beauty, diguedon,] (x2)
There was a fountain, the diguedondaine
There was a fountain, to/with birds, to/with birds

[By it a pretty young girl
The beauty, diguedi, the beauty, diguedon,] (x2)
Was crying her eyes out, la diguedondaine,
Was crying her eyes out, to birds, to birds

A battalion passed by,
Singing breathlessly, the diguedondaine...

Beauty, what do they call you?
They call me Marjolaine

"Marjolaine is a sweet name",
A captain exclaimed…

Marjolaine what's wrong with you/what ails you?
Gentlemen, I am in great sorrow/grief...

People say that the whole battalion,
Consoled Marjolaine...

If you pass by Dijon,
Go drink from the fountain...
"diguedi, diguedon, la diguedondaine" have no meaning.
Recording by Les Quatre Barbus et Lucienne Vernay
Sur la route de Dijon YouTube page.

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