La Pernette se lève
A later and more popular version of this song is Ne pleure pas Jeannette.
Pernette is a diminutive for the feminine form of Pierre.
La Pernette se lève
Pernette Gets Up
Chanson traditionnelle
Folk Song
(French)
(English)
La Pernette se lève,
Tralalalalala londerira (1)
La Pernette se lève,
Trois heures avant le jour,
Trois heures avant le jour,
Trois heures avant le jour.
Y prend la quenouillette,
Tralalalalala londerira
Y prend la quenouillette,
Avec son petit tour (2),
Avec son petit tour,
Avec son petit tour.
À chaque tour qu'elle vire
Tralalalalala londerira
À chaque tour qu'elle vire,
Fait un soupir d'amour,
Fait un soupir d'amour,
Fait un soupir d'amour.
Sa mère lui vient dire
Tralalalalala londerira
Sa mère lui vient dire
Pernette qu'avez-vous,
Pernette qu'avez-vous,
Pernette qu'avez-vous ?
Avez le mal de tête
Tralalalalala londerira
Avez le mal de tête,
Ou bien le mal d'amour,
Ou bien le mal d'amour,
Ou bien le mal d'amour ?
N'ai pas le mal de tête
Tralalalalala londerira
N'ai pas le mal de tête,
Mais bien le mal d'amour,
Mais bien le mal d'amour,
Mais bien le mal d'amour.
Ne pleure pas Pernette,
Tralalalalala londerira
Ne pleure pas Pernette,
Nous te marierons,
Nous te marierons,
Nous te marierons.
Avec le fils d'un prince,
Tralalalalala londerira
Avec le fils d'un prince
Ou celui d'un baron,
Ou celui d'un baron,
Ou celui d'un baron.
Je ne veux pas d'un prince
Tralalalalala londerira
Je ne veux pas d'un prince,
Ni du fils d'un baron,
Ni du fils d'un baron,
Ni du fils d'un baron.
Je veux mon ami (3) Pierre,
Tralalalalala londerira
Je veux mon ami Pierre,
Qu'est dedans la prison,
Qu'est dedans la prison,
Qu'est dedans la prison.
Tu n'auras pas ton Pierre
Tralalalalala londerira
Tu n'auras pas ton Pierre,
Nous le pendolerons,
Nous le pendolerons,
Nous le pendolerons.
Si vous pendolez Pierre,
Tralalalalala londerira
Si vous pendolez Pierre,
Pendolez-moi itou,
Pendolez-moi itou,
Pendolez-moi itou.
Au chemin de Saint-Jacques,
Tralalalalala londerira
Au chemin de Saint-Jacques,
Enterrez nous tous deux,
Enterrez nous tous deux,
Enterrez nous tous deux.
Couvrez Pierre de roses
Tralalalalala londerira
Couvrez Pierre de roses,
Et moi de millefleurs (4),
Et moi de millefleurs,
Et moi de millefleurs.
Les pèlerins qui passent
Tralalalalala londerira
Les pèlerins qui passent,
En prendront quelques brouts (5),
En prendront quelques brouts,
En prendront quelques brouts.
Diront : Que Dieu ait l'âme
Tralalalalala londerira
Diront : Que Dieu ait l'âme
Des pauvres amoureux,
Des pauvres amoureux,
Des pauvres amoureux.
L'un pour l'amour de l'autre
Tralalalalala londerira
L'un pour l'amour de l'autre
Ils sont morts tous les deux,
Ils sont morts tous les deux,
Ils sont morts tous les deux.
Pernette gets up,
Tralala la la la lon-de-rira
Pernette gets up
Three hours before dawn
Three hours before dawn
Three hours before dawn.
She takes her little spindle,
Tralala la la la lon-de-rira
She takes her little spindle
With her little spinning-wheel
With her little spinning-wheel
With her little spinning-wheel.
At every spinning turn
Tralala la la la lon-de-rira
At every spinning turn,
She sighs of love
She sighs of love
She sighs of love.
Her mother comes to ask her
Tralala la la la lon-de-rira
Her mother comes to ask her,
Pernette, what ails you?
Pernette, what ails you?
Pernette, what ails you?
Do you have a headache?
Tralala la la la lon-de-rira
Do you have a headache,
Or are you lovesick?
Or are you lovesick?
Or are you lovesick?
I don't have a headache
Tralala la la la lon-de-rira
I don't have a headache,
But I am lovesick
But I am lovesick
But I am lovesick.
Don't cry, Pernette,
Tralala la la la lon-de-rira
Don't cry, Pernette,
We will marry you off
We will marry you off
We will marry you off.
To the son of a prince,
Tralala la la la lon-de-rira
To the son of a prince
Or the son of a baron
Or the son of a baron
Or the son of a baron.
I don't want any prince
Tralala la la la lon-de-rira
I don't want any prince
Nor the son of any baron
Nor the son of any baron
Nor the son of any baron.
I want my beloved Pierre
Tralala la la la lon-de-rira
I want my beloved Pierre
Who is in prison
Who is in prison
Who is in prison.
You won't have your Pierre
Tralala la la la lon-de-rira
You won't have your Pierre,
We will hang him
We will hang him
We will hang him.
If you hang Pierre,
Tralala la la la lon-de-rira
If you hang Pierre,
Hang me too
Hang me too
Hang me too.
On the way to St. James,
Tralala la la la lon-de-rira
On the way to St. James,
Bury the two of us
Bury the two of us
Bury the two of us.
Cover Pierre with roses
Tralala la la la lon-de-rira
Cover Pierre with roses,
And me with the flowers of a snowball bush
And me with the flowers of a snowball bush
And me with the flowers of a snowball bush.
The pilgrims who pass by
Tralala la la la lon-de-rira
The pilgrims who pass by
Will take some shoots of them
Will take some shoots of them
Will take some shoots of them.
They'll say, "May God have the soul
Tralala la la la lon-de-rira
They'll say, "May God have the soul
Of the poor lovers
Of the poor lovers
Of the poor lovers.
Each for the love of the other
Tralala la la la lon-de-rira
Each for the love of the other
The two of them died
The two of them died
The two of them died."
Notes
(1) Alternate line "Tralalalalala lalalala".
(2) An old form of the word for a spinning wheel –now called "rouet".
(3) Literally, "my friend Pierre". At that time "friend" could mean "beloved/sweetheart" depending on the context.
(3) Popular name for snowball tree or bush (Viburnum opulus roseum), literally "thousand flowers"
(4) New shoot, sprout.
This ballad is a well-known version of an ancient song that can be traced back as early as the 15th century in a manuscript kept at the BNF (National Library of France). The song is supposedly older than that.
It's a "chanson de toile" (literally, "song of canvas/linen") since it was supposed to be sung by women while they were weaving or doing some needlework.
For those who know French, there's a long study of the song from the late 19th century in which each line is given with explanations and variants.
Comments
Monique wrote, "When I was a child, I learned this song up to the line, 'Hang me too'."
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Thanks to Monique Palomares for sharing this song with us and for the midi and score. Translation by Monique and Lisa.
