Lyr Req: Marie Louise

Subject: Marie Louse
From: GUEST,jaorree
Date: 14 Mar 00 - 10:53 AM

Hi!

Can anybody help me with lyrics (most possibly French) of the wonderful traditional song 'Marie Louise'? (Sung by Yann-Fann Kemener as recorded on "Celtic Mouth music")

Thanks a lot. Jaorree

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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Marie Louse
From: MMario
Date: 22 Mar 00 - 01:02 PM

refresh

Subject: Marie Louise (Celtic Mouth Music)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 04:08 PM

I can't make anything out of the lyrics, and they aren't printed in the CD booklet. The notes in the booklet are interesting, so I'll post them here.
-Joe Offer-

---

Yann-Fänch Kemener is among the most important figures of the Breton song revival. What music critic Stephen Winick calls Kemener's "weightless quality and gentle quaver" is evident in the slower passages of this beautiful example of kanha diskan (call-and-response singing), in which Kemener is joined by diskaner Marcel Guillou. Sets of such tunes, created for the vigorous Breton dances, often last ten or fifteen minutes. The song tells of a young girl who dresses as a man and joins the army to be at her lover's side. Only on their return to the village, after nearly seven years, does she reveal her identity. Notice the way re-entry by each voice accelerates the rhythm of the song, which was recorded in 1977. (2:28)

The principle of kan ha diskan is simple: one of the executors, the kaner, reveals the first phrase. The second, or diskaner, sings the end of it with him, at least the very last notes, then repeats the entire phrase alone. The first singer joins him on the last notes, then continues the next phrase alone. Until the end of the song, each sings thus turn by turn, the ends of phrases being always said a deux. Whence a continuous unfolding, with a succession of reinforcements and diminutions of sound.
JEAN-MICHEL GUILCHER
Le tradition populaire de danse en Basse-Bretagne
(translation Stephen Winick)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Marie Louise
From: Laurent
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 05:37 PM

You won't find Mari-Louiz(Marie-Louise) in French. It's a song from Britany, sung in Breton's language.

I don't possess Yann-Fanch Kemener CD's. But I know at least two versions :one for for the danse (I once used to have the Lyrics somewhere...), the second one as a gwerz(lament)which you can find at http://perso.wanadoo.fr/per.kentel/mari_louiz1.htm

Laurent

Subject: Lyr Add: MARIE-LOUIZ
From: masato sakurai
Date: 30 Oct 02 - 06:28 PM

From Laurent's link above (score included):

Mari-Louiz
( Marie-Louise )

1
Disul de gent-ahoé, deu hantér er galon, (3 guéh)
Kleuet en ordonans e lénas er person;

2
E kleuet er person é len en ordonans,
Hag er baotred iouank chervij er Roué a Frans !

3
Él ma té en dén-men er méz ag en iliz,
Ean rankontras ino é zousig Mari-Louiz.

4
" Bonjour d'oh, Mari-Louiz, bonjour d'oh e laran;
Bonjour ha kenevo eit men guéh devéhan!

5
" Chetu 'men, Mari-Louiz, e hran d'oh a brezant
Ur mouched koton guen hag ur hoalen argant;

6
" Ur mouched koton guen hag ur hoalen argant,
Hag é han mé bremen de chervijein bro Frans !

7
-- P'arriueet ino, skrivet d'ein ul lihér;
Nezé, ma voureet, me iei dadoh eùé. "

8
N'hé doé ket hoah lénet, a hantér, el lihér
Pe saillas de glaskein alhué hé armenér;

9
Pe saillas de glaskein alhué hé armenér,
Eit prenein un abit, eit monet d'en armé.

10
" Bonjour d'oh, kapitén, ha d'oh hui, komandant,
Ha hui m'angajehé é blein hou réjimant?

11
- O ia dénig iouank, rak ma oh élégant,
Angajet sur veet é blein hor réjimant. "

12
Pe oé arriù ino, hi doé ean anaùet,
Eit bout kansort gulé hé doé ean goulennet.

13
" Bonjour d'eh, kapitén, ha d'oh hui, komandant!
Hui rei d'ein me honjé, bremen p'er goulennan;

14
" Bremen per goulennan, hui rei d'ein me konjé,
Hani me hamerad, hui er rei d'ein eùé.

15
- Ne pas, dénig iouank, n'hou po ket hou konjé,
Hani hou kamerad hui n'hou po ket eùé.

16
- Aveit ur plah iouank, seih vlé 'n hou réjimant,
N' ret ket d'ein me honjé bremen p'er goulennan?

17
- Mar d'oh hui merh iouank, èl ma laret é oh,
Me rei d'oh hou konié, ne gousto nitra d'oh.

18
N' gousto nitra d'oh eit kaout hou konjé;
Hani hou kamerad e vo reit d'oh eùé. "

19
Chetu deit er seih vlé, mant é tonet d'er gér :
" Me huél en Oriant, Perh-Loeiz hag é vanér.

20
" Me huél en Oriant ha manér er Porh-Loeiz;
Él léh-sen é vagér men dousig Mari-Loeiz.

21
- Na mar dé Mari-Louiz en hani e glasket,
Chetu seih vlé paset oé genoh é kousket !

22
- P'em behé mé gouiet é oeh hui Mari-Louiz,
N'ou pehé montet gard na groeit en ekselsis! "

23
" Deit hui, Eutru Person, deit'ta bean d'hous iliz,
D'aliansein deu zén 'tonet ag er chervij.

24
- Me zo, Eutru Person, ne chaoj ket d'ein bout sot,
Eit monet d'em iliz d'aliansein deu baotr!

25
- Ne hues chet chonj, Eutru, ag er verh Mari-Louiz,
Gañnet én hou parréz, badéet 'n hous iliz?

26
Mar doh hui Mari-Louiz, èl ma laret é oh,
Mé hous aliansio ne gousto nitra d'oh.

27
- Me zo mé Mari-Louiz, rouañnéz en ol merhed,
E hrei konz anehi ér pear horn ag er bed!

~Masato

Subject: Lyr Add: MARI-LOUISE / MARIE-LOUISE
From: Laurent
Date: 31 Oct 02 - 05:55 PM

Here are the lyrics of a quite long song for an athletic dance from Brittany called "dañs Fisel". The way to sing it is Kan ha Diskan (see above).

The story is about Mari-Louise who met a captain and joined the King's army to follow her lover. Dressed like a man, nobody did recognize her.

Seven years later (military service lasted seven years at that time), she obtains from her captain to discharge her and her lover.

Back to their home town, the boy remembers the girl he left behind.
When she tells him they had been in the same regiment for seven years, he blames herfor her to be cruel.

She replies she proved true to him but, more more important, her fidelity wasor our Lord God.

(I hope my Engish is good enough to be understood)

MARI-LOUISE
(Marie-Louise)

as sung by Y.-F. Kemener and M..Guilloux
(Kan ha Diskan(Arion ARN 34702-1982)

Dance : Dañs Fisel

Partiet eo Mari-Louise
Ur pennad gant an hent bras
C'hentañ hagn deus renkontret,
Oe ur C'hapiten bras.

Aotrou Kapiten, emezi
Na c'hwi m'engagefe
Velt un den yaouank kontant
Dasouten an arme?

Engaget eo Mari-Louise
'Vit mont d'ar rejumant
Ba'nur memes corps de garde
Sembles gant he galant

Mari-Louise a gane
En palest ar roue
Ha gantei un habit paotr
Hagn bet he anave

Bepda toste d'he seizh vle
Mari lades un de
Aotrou Kapiten, eme'i
Skrivet din ma c'honje

Hag ouzhpenn a c'houlennan
Konjer un den yaouank
Kamerad samblez ganin
Ba' memes rejumant

Ha neuzen zo bet skrivet
Ya, daou conjet evit mat
Unan da Mari-Louise
Un all d'he c'hamerad.

Bep da doste d'ar bourk-mañ
Mari a c'houlenne
-Poe ket c'hwi barzh ar ger-mañ
Un douzig karante?

- Me am boe barzh ar ger-mañ
Nag un dousig Louison
Matrezen emañ klañv
Betramantet maro

- Matrezen emañ klañv
Betramantet maro
Ya pe dimezet d'un ell
Ha partiet maez ar vor

- Hola! emez Mari-Louise
Gaou a larit aze
Kame eo Mari-Louise
Ho tousig karante

Kame eo Mari-louise
Ho tousig karante
Ha bet on bet e-pad seizh vle
Kousket deus hjo Koste

- Penaos ta Mari-Louise
Oec'h e ma rejumant
Ha laoskec'h ma c'halon baour
Ba'n un ken bras tourmant

- Me am boe evidoc'h-c'hwi
Ur gwir fidelite
Kalz muioc'h me ‚m boe c'hoezh
Evit an Aotrou Doue

Laurent

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Marie Louise
From: Trevor
Date: 11 Jan 19 - 09:57 AM

I've just come across this thread by a circuitous route that's taken me through a lot of brilliant music (and the film 'Black Hawk Down'!).

I absolutely love it! This spring's project.

Thank you for putting this up all those years ago.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Marie Louise
From: Monique
Date: 11 Jan 19 - 11:39 AM

Very literal translation of the 2nd version.

Marie-Louise left one day on the great road,
The first one she met was a great captain.

"Lord Captain, she said, would you enlist me
As a young man who wants to support the army?"

Marie-Louise was enlisted to go to the army
In the same guard corps as her sweetheart.

Marie-Louise would sing in the king's palace,
Dressed in boy's clothes; nobody recognized her.

As she came close to her seven years, Marie said one day,
"Lord Captain, she said, write down my leave,

Besides, I ask for a young man's leave,
A comrade of mine in the same regiment."

And then they wrote down two leaves for good,
One for Marie-Louise, another for her regimental comrade.

As she was getting close to this town, Marie-Louise asked,
"Didn't you have a beloved in this town?"

"I had, in this town, a sweet Louison,
Maybe she's ill or maybe dead…

Maybe she's ill or maybe dead,
Yes, or married to someone else and gone from home."

"Stop, Marie-Louise said, you're wrong
For I am Marie-Louise, your beloved.

For I am Marie-Louise, your beloved
And for seven years, I've been sleeping by your side."

"How that, Marie-Louise, you were in my regiment
And you let my poor heart in such a great agony?"

"I had for you a true fidelity,
I had even much more [fidelity] than for the Lord God."

You'll find the first version and other songs in this pdf

A rendition of the 2nd version. Another one (verses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7), another one and if you want to listen to only one this one is the one (full version).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Marie Louise
From: leeneia
Date: 11 Jan 19 - 06:28 PM

Thank you for the link and the translation, Monique. That is fascinating to listen to.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Marie Louise
From: Monique
Date: 12 Jan 19 - 05:30 AM

Here is a very literal translation of the version that Masato posted above (10/30/2002)

1 On Sunday morning, [we were] broken hearted -
While listening to the order read by the parson.

2 While listening to the order read by the parson,-
[bidding] the young men to go to serve the King of France.

3 As that man came out of the church, -
He met his sweet, little Marie-Louise.

4 "Good day to you, Marie-Louise, good day I tell you,-
Good day and adieu for the last time!

5 Here is, Marie-Louise, what I give you as a present,-
A white cotton handkerchief and a silver ring.

6 A white cotton handkerchief and a silver ring.-
And now I'm going to serve the country of France."

7 "When you've reached your destination, write me a letter,-
Then if you like it there, I'll go and meet you."

8 She hadn't yet read half of the letter –
When she flew to fetch the key of her wardrobe.

9 When she flew to fetch the key of her wardrobe -
To buy clothes to go to the army.

10 "Good day to you, captain, and to you, major –
Would you enlist me at the front of your regiment?"

11 "Certainly, young man, for you are elegant. -
You'll be enlisted at the front of our regiment."

12 When she was there, she recognized him [her sweetheart] -
She asked for him to be her bed companion.

13 "Good day to you, captain, and to you, major, -
You'll give me my leave, now I ask you for it.

14 You'll give me my leave, now I ask you for it –
The one for my companion you'll also give to me."

15 "No way, young man, you won't have your leave –
Nor your companion's either."

16 "To a young maiden in your regiment for seven years –
You'd deny her leave when she asks for it?"

17 "If you're a young maiden as you're saying -
I'll give you your leave without costing you a "sou" (penny/cent).

18 I won't cost you anything to get your leave,-
You'll have your companion's as well."

19 The seven years are over, they go back home.-
"I can see Lorient, Port-Louis and its castle.

20 I can see Lorient and Port-Louis castle;-
It's where my sweet Marie-Louise lives."

21 "If it's Marie-Louise the one you're looking for,-
She's been sleeping beside you for more than seven years!"

22 "If I'd known you were Marie-Louise,-
You wouldn't have stood guard nor done marching drills."

23 "Come, Parson, come quickly to your church -
To marry two people who come back from the army."

24 "I'm the Parson, it doesn't suit me to be silly enough –
To go to church to marry two boys."

25 "Don't you remember, sir, the girl Marie-Louise, -
Born in your parish, christened in your church?"

26 "If you're Marie-Louise, as you claim to be –
I'll marry you without costing you a 'sou'."

27 "I am Marie-Louise, the queen of all the girls –
Who'll get herself talked about all around the world."