V'là l' bon vent
Emmanuelle Fleury wrote from France, "I just wanted to add something about the 'Canadian song' V'là l'Bon Vent, for me it was a French song that my mum used to sing to me when I was little, and for the end of the chorus, we use: 'Ma mie m'attends', which means 'my dear friend'."
V'là l' bon vent
Here Comes the Wind
Chanson enfantine
Folk Song
(French)
(English)
Refrain
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.
Derrière chez nous y'a t-un étang,
Derrière chez nous y'a t-un étang,
Il n'est pas large comme il est grand.
(Refrain)
Trois beaux canards s'en vont nageant,
Trois beaux canards s'en vont nageant.
Le fils de roi s'en va chassant.
(Refrain)
Avec son grand fusil d'argent,
Avec son grand fusil d'argent,
Visa le noir tua le blanc.
(Refrain)
O, fils du roi, tu es méchant,
O, fils du roi, tu es méchant,
Tu as tué mon canard blanc.
(Refrain)
Par dessous l'aile il perd son sang,
Par dessous l'aile il perd son sang,
Et par les yeux des diamants.
(Refrain)
Et par le bec l'or et l'argent
Et par le bec l'or et l'argent
Que ferons-nous de tant d'argent ?
(Refrain)
Nous mettrons les fill's au couvent
Nous mettrons les fill's au couvent
Et les garçons au régiment.
(Refrain)
(Chorus)
Here comes the wind
Here comes the pretty wind
Here comes the wind,
My dear friend* is calling,
Here comes the wind
Here comes the pretty wind
Here comes the wind,
My dear friend waits for me.
Behind our house there is a pond
Behind our house there is a pond
It's not as deep as it is wide.
(Chorus)
Three handsome ducks went a-swimming
Three handsome ducks went a-swimming
The king's son went a-hunting.
(Chorus)
With his great silver gun
With his great silver gun
Aimed at the black, killed the white.
(Chorus)
O, son of the king, you are cruel
O, son of the king, you are cruel
You have killed my white duck.
(Chorus)
From 'neath its wing it loses blood
From 'neath its wing it loses blood
And from its eyes, diamonds.
(Chorus)
And from its beak, gold and silver
And from its beak, gold and silver
What use to us is lots of money?
(Chorus)
We send all our girls to the convent
We send all our girls to the convent
And all the boys to the army.
(Chorus)
Notes
*Re. "Ma mie" (my dear friend) - Generally, if it's a woman singing, "ma mie" would mean, "my dear friend". If it's a man singing, "ma mie" would mean, "my beloved".
*****
Dani Atkinson originally sent me this song with the note: "I spent several years in Quebec as a kid. While I was there, somebody gave me a picture book and an accompanying tape of French/French-Canadian folk songs. Both book and tape have since disappeared, but I remember some of the tunes, and I recently hunted up the lyrics to refresh them in my mind.
This one was my favourite. Apparently it's Acadian, over three hundred years old. There are several gazillion variations; I've pieced together the one I remember.
I don't swear to the accuracy of my translation, Quebec and French class were a while ago. ^_^;"
Comments
The original version of V'là l'Bon Vent seems to be from Quebec.
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Dani Atkinson for contributing and translating this song and to Emmanuelle Fleury for pointing out that she sang it in France as a kid. Thanks also to Monique Palomares for help with the translation, for the midi tune and the photo.
Merci beaucoup !
