ADD: V'la l' Bon Vent (Ian & Sylvia), in French

Subject: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in French]
From:
Date: 21 Apr 99 - 10:08 AM

This was originally on Ian & Sylvia's "Four Strong Winds" album from the mid-late 1960's. It is in French and seems to be a sea chantey. Does anyone have the lyrics, either in the original French (preferable), or in English?

Subject: RE: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in French]
From: Felipa
Date: 21 Apr 99 - 01:53 PM

It's in the Digital Tradition Database. Just put the title (or key word, such as 'vent')in the little box up in your right hand corner -or click here

Subject: RE: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in French]
From: Felipa
Date: 21 Apr 99 - 01:55 PM

but the DT says there are more verses...so anyone ready and willing to supply some additional verses?

Subject: RE: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in French]
From: Barry Taylor
Date: 21 Apr 99 - 03:13 PM

I have the French lyrics with midi on my Canadian Midi Page.

Subject: RE: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in French]
From: Henry Boucher
Date: 21 Apr 99 - 10:38 PM

Bonjour, Trois beaux canard has more than 300 versions , the V'la l'bon vent version is a voyageur song ( canoe song) there are variants like complaints , trade song even Breton dance tune.

The children's version end with the death of the duck . - ...D'avoir tué mon canard blanc. Toutes ses plumes s'en vont au vent Trois dames s'en vont les ramassants C'est pour en faire un lit de camp Pour y coucher tout les passants Or sometime Pour y coucher tout les amants .

Translation:

All his feathers go with the wind Three ladies pick them up To make a ( camping ?) bed out of it For the passer-by to use Or : For the lovers to use

Subject: RE: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in French]
From: Tucker
Date: 22 Apr 99 - 01:30 AM

Hello Barry! Geez, you stop by here too! Hey folks this guy has a great web site. If you need to hear a tune or to check out lyrics go to Taylor's traditional tunebook. It's a "must" on your bookmark.

Subject: RE: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in French]
From:
Date: 16 Feb 04 - 10:43 AM

DO YOU HAVE A FREE MUSIC SHEET FOR V'LA L'BON VENT THAT I CAN HAVE FOR MY PERSONAL USE. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND ONE ON THE INTERNET, BUT THE ONLY THINK I FOUND IS THE LYRICS AND MUSIC.

THANKS

Subject: RE: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in French]
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Feb 04 - 04:36 PM

The Great Canadian Tunebook has this song (with 4 more verses) and many other Canadian songs. V'la l'bon vent
Not in Gest.

Subject: RE: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in French]
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Feb 04 - 04:37 PM

Much better midi at the above link than the one in the Mudcat.

Subject: RE: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in French]
From: Nerd
Date: 17 Feb 04 - 04:35 PM

I learned this song as a wee boy in school French. It had a few fewer verses than the one Q posted, and none that weren't in that version.

Subject: RE: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in French]
From: GUEST,D. Pearson
Date: 29 Jul 04 - 06:20 PM

Here is a site that translates the song into English:
http://ingeb.org/songs/lbonvent.html

Subject: RE: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in French]
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Jul 04 - 07:55 PM

V'là le bon vent:
V'la le bon vent

Basic music here: V'la le bon vent

Hear and download the song here: Voyageur songs

Subject: RE: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in French]
From: GUEST,Laurent at work
Date: 30 Jul 04 - 08:23 AM

There are many songs about "le canard blanc". The most popular, even in France, comes from Canada. We have many versions too.

In the version I know, the last part of each verse is used for the first part of the next one.

The lyrics are :

Derrière chez nous y a un étang,
Trois beaux canards s'y vont nageant.    (or baignant)

Chorus :
V'là l'bon vent, v'là l'joli vent,
V'là l'bon vent ma mie m'appelle !
V'là l'bon vent, v'là l'joli vent,
V'là l'bon vent ma mie m'attend!

Trois beaux canards s'y vont nageant,
Le fils du Roi y va chassant.

Chorus

Le fils du Roi…
Avec son beau fusil d'argent

Chorus

Avec son…
Visa le noir, tua le blanc.

O fils du roi tu es méchant,
D'avoir tué mon canard blanc.
Par dessous l'aile il perd le sang,
Et par l'oreille l'or et l'argent.
Que ferons-nous de tant d'argent ?
Nous mettrons les filles au couvent   
Et les garçons au régiment.

Or for the two last ones :

Nous tir'rons les filles du couvent
Et les marierons richement.

A bientot.
Laurent

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in French]
From: GUEST,Catherine in StatenIsland
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 12:21 AM

Okay, I'm reviving this thread because I've been searching the internet for "V'la l' Bon Vent" lyrics, but specifically the *exact* ones that Ian & Sylvia sing on the Four Strong Winds LP I speak no French so I'm at a gross disadvantage here, but so far these are the verses that I hear them sing and that I've also found on the Internet (here at Mudcat and elsewhere)

 Refrain?   V'là l'bon vent, v'là l'joli vent?   V'là l'bon vent m'ami m'appelle?   V'là l'bon vent, v'là l'joli vent?   V'là l'bon vent m'ami m'attend.

Ian & Sylvia Verse 1:

Derrièr' chez-nous, y a-t-un étang?Derrièr' chez-nous, y a-t-un étang?Trois beaux canards s'en vont baignant.

Repeat refrain

Ian & Sylvia Verse 2:

Le fils du roi s'en va chassant?Le fils du roi s'en va chassant?Avec son grand fusil d'argent.

Repeat refrain

Ian & Sylvia Verse 3:

Visa le noir, tua le blanc?Visa le noir, tua le blanc?[Here's the first difference... I do *not* hear anything that sounds like "O fils du roi, tu es méchant" which is what I find on most lyrics... what exactly are I&S singing here?]

Repeat refrain

Ian & Sylvia Verse 4:

[I can't make out this one at all... I can't find this verse on any of the lyric searches at all)

Repeat refrain

Ian & Sylvia Verse 5:

[This one either... it sounds like they're saying something about "the fish" or "the fishermen" but that's just coming from a few years of high school Latin and, as I mentioned before, I have no French.]

Final refrain.


So, can someone who speaks French and is familiar with the Ian & Sylvia recording fill in those blanks for me? Merci. :blush:

--Catherine

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in French]
From: GUEST,Catherine in StatenIsland
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 10:19 PM

bump

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in Fre
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Feb 07 - 12:47 PM

Verse 3 :

Visa le noir, tua le blanc
Et toutes ses plumes s'en vont au vent

Verse 4 :

??????????
Et nous verrons ?????

Verse 5 :

(?????????? du dieu d'Éden ???????)
(Oh il y aura ???? enfants ???)

I tried to found the lyrics of this song, but - although I speak french, the way they speak is strange ( mix between english accent and acadian ? ) and difficult to understand for me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in Fre
From: GUEST,Louise in Lex
Date: 17 Feb 07 - 08:52 PM

I believe the last line to the 3rd verse is correct. "Et toutes ses plumes s'en vont au vent." It means something like "all their feathers were blown in the wind."

The last verse is :

Nous coucheron tous deux dedan (2x)
Pour y'avoir des petits enfants.

I'm about 40 + years away from my French Classes - sorry for any grammatical mistakes.

Louise

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in French]
From: GUEST,MCMC
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 12:35 AM

Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!!

I've been trying to track down that last verse to the Ian and Sylvia version for ages - I looked at all the same sites that everyone else mentioned above, and I could never find anything that sounded at all like what they were singing.

Part of the reason their accents sound strange is that Ian Tyson is from Alberta and Sylvia (Fricker) Tyson is from Ontario - it would be like someone from Montana or North Dakota and someone from upstate New York combining their accents on a French-Canadian song. Very odd, but extremely catching.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in French]
From: Wordsmith
Date: 21 Feb 07 - 12:21 AM

This is amazing. I have this album...LP...and was just online this week, trying to see if I could get a CD of it. I couldn't, but settled for one of their Vanguard Sessions. I absolutely love this song, but, don't speak French, wouldn't dare...no talent for it whatsoever...yet have always enjoyed listening to Ian and Sylvia's version. I was in college when I bought the LP...and have a device that may let me transfer the music from my record player to my PC and then onto a CD. I haven't had time to hook it up yet, so I can't say if it works. Lots of LPs to try!!! Still, I don't know what I'm going to do with the LPs afterward.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: V'la l' Bon Vent/Ian & Sylvia [in Fre
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 21 Feb 07 - 04:25 AM

"..seems to be a sea chantey"

Small point: I remember from the liner notes of the album that the song was a voyageur canoeing song, and I&S saying "though I doubt anyone could paddle a canoe at our tempo".

I don't believe I remember that!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: V'la l' Bon Vent (Ian & Sylvia, in Fr
From: GUEST,Bryan Williams, Austin TX
Date: 08 Dec 09 - 03:38 PM

Well, it's now two years after the last post and a decade after the original question, but I believe this is exactly what Ian & Sylvia sing in their recording, with my translation at the end.

Their version seems to mix and match from several variants of the lyrics:

V'la l'Bon Vent

(Chorus)

V'la l'bon vent, v'la joli vent
V'la l'bon vent, m'amie m'appelle
V'la l'bon vent. v'la joli vent
V'la l'bon vent, m'amie m'attend

(verses)

Derrière chez nous y'a t'un étang
Trois beaux canards s'en vont baignant

Le fils de roi s'en va chassant
Avec son grand fusil argent

Visa le noir tua le blanc
Et toutes ses plumes s'en vont au vent

Y sont trois dames les ramassant
Et nous ferons un lit de camp

Nous coucherons tous deux dedans
Pour y'avoir des petits enfants

Translation:

Go Good Wind

Go good wind, go pretty wind
Go good wind, my girl calls me
Go good wind, go pretty wind
Go good wind, my girl awaits me

Behind our place there is a pond
Three beautiful ducks swim there

The son of the king goes hunting there
With his big silver gun

He sees the black one, kills the white one
And all its feathers go into the wind

There are three women who collect them
And make us a camping bed

We two will hide ourselves inside
And there have little children

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: V'la l' Bon Vent (Ian & Sylvia, in French
From: Monique
Date: 08 Dec 09 - 04:24 PM

The 1st line of the chorus is (with accents and all)
"V'là l' bon vent, V'là l' joli vent..." which means "here comes the good wind, here comes the pretty wind..."

"visa le noir, tua le blanc" means "(he) aimed at the black one and killed the white one", it's the verb "viser"="to aim" not the verb "voir" (to see) both in preterit tense.

"et nous ferons un lit de camp" means "and we'll make a camp bed"

"Nous coucherons tous deux dedans" means "we two will lie in it", it's the verbe "coucher" (to lie down) not "cacher" (to hide)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: V'la l' Bon Vent (Ian & Sylvia, in French
From: Mrrzy
Date: 08 Dec 09 - 09:04 PM

The version I know has after the plumes s'envolent au vent, trois dames s'en vont les ramassant, elles en feront des lits de camp, pour accueillir tous les passants.

I am not familiar with these other versions, I think the one about sending the girls to a convent and the boys into the army rings the most true, what with knowing what I know about the French. I don't have this as Canadian, somehow.

I know at least 4 versions of these/this song, where the prince kills the white duck while aiming at the black one, most of which end after he kills the duck, and don't go on to the feathers blowing away. Some of them have chorus gestures like many children's songs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: V'la l' Bon Vent (Ian & Sylvia, in Fr
From: GUEST,Bryan Williams, Austin TX
Date: 09 Dec 09 - 01:11 AM

Wow, people are still interested in the topic!

Monique - I appreciate the corrections!

Mrrzy - the alternate lines you cite (trois dames s'en vont les ramassant...") seem to be most common. In fact, I can't find any other version exactly like Ian and Sylvia's. They seem to have mixed and matched lines and verses among variants.

Another line that is commonly found, but left out of theirs is, "Oh fils de roi, tu est mechant!"

The section about the gathering of the feathers and making of the bed seems to be significantly expanded in other versions.

It also appears to be more common for the song to be sung in the form:

Chorus AAB Chorus BBC Chorus CCD, and so on - which I imagine works better as a call & response song, with a leader giving the new line at the end of each verse and the others repeating it at as the start of the next verse.

Ian & Sylvia instead use the form:

Chorus AAB Chorus CCD Chorus EEF, and so on.

Subject: Lyr Add: LE CANARD BLANC / THE WHITE DUCK (Canada)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 10 Dec 09 - 08:15 PM

Here's another version. The French lyrics are from Forty-four French folk-songs and variants from Canada, Normandy, and Brittany collected and harmonized by by Henry Grafton Chapman (New York: G. Schirmer, 1910), page 28, where there is also musical notation for 1 voice and piano. There is also an English translation, but I don't like it. "The King's son comes, for hunting dight." Who the hell speaks like that?

LE CANARD BLANC
(Canada)

CHOEUR: V'là l'bon vent. V'là l'joli vent.
V'là l'bon vent. M'amie m'appelle.
V'là l'bon vent. V'là l'joli vent.
V'là l'bon vent. M'amie m'attend.

1. SOLO: Derrièr' chez nous y a-t-un étang.
CHOEUR: Derrièr' chez nous y a-t-un étang.
SOLO: Trois beaux canards s'en vont baignant.
CHOEUR: V'là l'bon vent, etc.

2. SOLO: Trois beaux canards s'en vont baignant.
CHOEUR: Trois beaux canards s'en vont baignant.
SOLO: Le fils du roi s'en va chassant.
CHOEUR: V'là l'bon vent, etc.

3. SOLO: Le fils du roi s'en va chassant.
CHOEUR: Le fils du roi s'en va chassant,
SOLO: Avec son grand fusil d'argent.
CHOEUR: V'là l'bon vent, etc.

4. SOLO: Avec son grand fusil d'argent,
CHOEUR: Avec son grand fusil d'argent,
SOLO: Visa le noir, tua le blanc.
CHOEUR: V'là l'bon vent, etc.

5. SOLO: Visa le noir, tua le blanc.
CHOEUR: Visa le noir, tua le blanc.
SOLO: O fils du roi, tu es méchant.
CHOEUR: V'là l'bon vent, etc.

6. SOLO: O fils du roi, tu es méchant.
CHOEUR: O fils du roi, tu es méchant,
SOLO: D'avoir tué mon canard blanc.
CHOEUR: V'là l'bon vent, etc.

7. SOLO: D'avoir tué mon canard blanc.
CHOEUR: D'avoir tué mon canard blanc.
SOLO: Par dessous l'aile il perd son sang.
CHOEUR: V'là l'bon vent, etc.

8. SOLO: Par dessous l'aile il perd son sang.
CHOEUR: Par dessous l'aile il perd son sang.
SOLO: Par les yeux lui sort' des diamants.
CHOEUR: V'là l'bon vent, etc.

9. SOLO: Par les yeux lui sort' des diamants.
CHOEUR: Par les yeux lui sort' des diamants.
SOLO: Et par le bec l'or et l'argent.
CHOEUR: V'là l'bon vent, etc.

10. SOLO: Et par le bec l'or et l'argent.
CHOEUR: Et par le bec l'or et l'argent.
SOLO: Toutes ses plum' s'en vont au vent.
CHOEUR: V'là l'bon vent, etc.

11. SOLO: Toutes ses plum' s'en vont au vent
CHOEUR: Toutes ses plum' s'en vont au vent
SOLO: Trois dam' s'en vont les ramassant.
CHOEUR: V'là l'bon vent, etc.

12. SOLO: Trois dam' s'en vont les ramassant
CHOEUR: Trois dam' s'en vont les ramassant
SOLO: C'est pour en faire un lit de camp.
CHOEUR: V'là l'bon vent, etc.

13. SOLO: C'est pour en faire un lit de camp.
CHOEUR: C'est pour en faire un lit de camp.
SOLO: Pour y coucher tous les passants.
CHOEUR: V'là l'bon vent, etc.

THE WHITE DUCK
(My literal translation, not for singing.)

CHORUS: There's the good wind. There's the pretty wind.
There's the good wind. My love calls me.
There's the good wind. There's the pretty wind.
There's the good wind. My love waits for me.

1. SOLO: Behind our house is a pond.
CHORUS: Behind our house is a pond.
SOLO: Three beautiful ducks go bathing.
CHORUS: There's the good wind, etc.

2. SOLO: Three beautiful ducks go bathing.
CHORUS: Three beautiful ducks go bathing.
SOLO: The son of the king goes hunting.
CHORUS: There's the good wind, etc.

3. SOLO: The son of the king goes hunting.
CHORUS: The son of the king goes hunting,
SOLO: With his big silver gun.
CHORUS: There's the good wind, etc.

4. SOLO: With his big silver gun,
CHORUS: With his big silver gun,
SOLO: Aimed at the black, killed the white.
CHORUS: There's the good wind, etc.

5. SOLO: Aimed at the black, killed the white.
CHORUS: Aimed at the black, killed the white.
SOLO: O son of the king, you're mean.
CHORUS: There's the good wind, etc.

6. SOLO: O son of the king, you're mean.
CHORUS: O son of the king, you're mean,
SOLO: To have killed my white duck.
CHORUS: There's the good wind, etc.

7. SOLO: To have killed my white duck.
CHORUS: To have killed my white duck.
SOLO: Under his wing, he is losing blood.
CHORUS: There's the good wind, etc.

8. SOLO: Under his wing, he is losing blood.
CHORUS: Under his wing, he is losing blood.
SOLO: From his eyes he is shedding diamonds.
CHORUS: There's the good wind, etc.

9. SOLO: From his eyes he is shedding diamonds.
CHORUS: From his eyes he is shedding diamonds.
SOLO: And from his beak, gold and silver.
CHORUS: There's the good wind, etc.

10. SOLO: And from his beak, gold and silver.
CHORUS: And from his beak, gold and silver.
SOLO: All his feathers are blowing away.
CHORUS: There's the good wind, etc.

11. SOLO: All his feathers are blowing away.
CHORUS: All his feathers are blowing away.
SOLO: Three ladies are gathering them.
CHORUS: There's the good wind, etc.

12. SOLO: Three ladies are gathering them.
CHORUS: Three ladies are gathering them.
SOLO: This is to make a cot.
CHORUS: There's the good wind, etc.

13. SOLO: This is to make a cot.
CHORUS: This is to make a cot
SOLO: Where all passers-by may lie down.
CHORUS: There's the good wind, etc.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: V'la l' Bon Vent (Ian & Sylvia, in French
From: Monique
Date: 11 Dec 09 - 04:33 AM

The book Jim mentions here can be downloaded here
The character that shows as è is è (typed &-e-grave-; without the dashes)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: V'la l' Bon Vent (Ian & Sylvia, in French
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 05:21 AM

“Our men were kept from thinking too deeply by their songs and the splashing of the oars, which kept time to them. Lisa himself siezed the helm, and gave the song,* and at the close of every stanza, made the woods ring with his shouts of encouragement. The whole was intermixed, with short and pithy addresses to their fears, their hopes, or their ambition.

* The patron usually sings the first couplet, the chorus is then sung by the whole; the songs are very trifling, but the tunes not disagreeable. The following are some verses of a favorite song: —

        Derrière chêz nous, il y a un etang,
        Ye, ye ment:
        Trois canards s'en vons baignans,
        Tous du lóng de la rivière,
        Legèrement ma bergère,
        Legèrement, ye ment.

        Trois cannards s'en vons baignans,
        Ye, ye ment:
        Le fis du roi s'en va chassant,
        Tous du lóng de la rivière.
        Legèrement ma bergère,
        Legèrement ye ment.

        Le fis du roi s'en va chassant,
        Ye, ye ment:
        Avec son grand fusil d'argent,
        Tous du lóng de la rivière,
        Legèrement ma bergère
        Legèrement, ye ment.
                        &c. &c.
[Journal of a Voyage up the River Missouri - 1811, 2nd ed, Brackenridge, 1816, pp.57-58]
Maritime work song in general

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: V'la l' Bon Vent (Ian & Sylvia, in French
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 05:22 AM

“We slept on board the boat, and in the morning of the 14th took our departure from St. Charles, the Canadians measuring the strokes of their oars by songs, which were generally responsive betwixt the oarsman at the bow and those at the stern: sometimes the steersman sung, and was chorused by the men.*

* A few verses of one of their most favourite songs is annexed; and to show its frivolity to those unacquainted with the language, an imitation in English is added.

                I.
Derriere chez nous, ilya un etang,
        Ye, ye ment.
Trois canards s'en vont baignans,
Tous du lóng de la rivière,
Legerèment ma bergère,
        Legèrement ye ment.

                II.
Trois canards s'en vont baignans,
        Ye, ye ment.
Le fils du roi s'en va chassant,
Tous du lóng de la rivière,
Legèrement ma bergère,
        Legèrement, ye ment.

                III.
Le fils du roi s'en va chassant,
        Ye, ye ment.
Avec son grand fusil d'argent,
Tous du long de la rivière,
Legèrenient ma bergère,
        Legèrenient, ye ment.—&c. &c.


                I.
Behind our house there is a pond,
        Fal lal de ra.
There came three ducks to swim thereon;
All along the river clear,
Lightly my shepherdess dear,
        Lightly, fal de ra.

                II.
There came three ducks to swim thereon,
        Fal lal de ra.
The prince to chase them he did run
All along the river clear,
Lightly my shepherdess dear,
        Lightly, fal de ra.

                III.
The prince to chase them he did run,
        Fal lal de ra.
And he had his great silver gun,
All along the river clear,
Lightly my shepherdess dear,
        Lightly, fal de ra.—&c. &c.”
[Travels in the Interior of America 1809-1811, Bradbury, 1817, pp.12-13]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: V'la l' Bon Vent (Ian & Sylvia, in French
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 03:06 AM

Le Canard blanc (chanson)
J'ai vu le loup

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: V'la l' Bon Vent (Ian & Sylvia, in French
From: Mrrzy
Date: 26 Jul 22 - 10:21 AM

As a small child learning this song (and variatiins) before I had learned French, I had some fun mondegreens:

Tu as tué mon canard blanc (you have killed my white duck) I heard as Tu as, tu es, mon canard blanc (you have, you are, my white duck)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: V'la l' Bon Vent (Ian & Sylvia, in French
From: Monique
Date: 26 Jul 22 - 10:41 AM

About "J'ai vu le loup, le renard et la belette" / "J'ai vu le loup, le renard, le lièvre", we have it in both French and Occitan on Mama Lisa's World.
Phil, "J'ai vu le loup" (period) will puzzle any French person about the topic of the song as "To have seen the wolf" means for a girl to have lost her virginity.

Subject: RE: ADD: V'la l' Bon Vent (Ian & Sylvia), in French
From: Mrrzy
Date: 01 Aug 22 - 01:34 PM

J'ai vu le loup, le renard, le lion is a great French Canadian double album of folk.