Les trois marins de Groix
(Version 3)
This song has many variants sung to different tunes and/or with slightly different sets of lyrics.
Les trois marins de Groix
(Version 3)
We Were Three Sailors from Groix
Chanson de marins
Sea Shanty
(French)
(English)
Nous étions trois marins de Groix, ah !
Nous étions trois marins de Groix, ah !
Refrain :
Il vente, il vente,
C'est l'appel de la mer qui nous tourmente.
Mon matelot, mon mousse et moi, ah !
Embarqués sur le Saint-François, ah !
(Refrain)
Le mousse est allé prendre un ris, ah !
Un paquet de mer l'aura pris, ah !
(Refrain)
On n'a retrouvé que son chapeau, ah !
Son garde pipe son couteau ah !
(Refrain)
Sa pauvre maman s'en est allée ah !
Prier à sainte Anne d'Auray ah !
(Refrain)
We were three sailors from Groix (1), ah!
We were three sailors from Groix, ah!
Chorus:
It's windy, it's windy,
It's the call of the sea that torments us.
My sailor, my ship's boy and me, ah!
On board the Saint-François, ah!
(Chorus)
The ship's boy went to take a reef (2), ah!
A big wave may have taken him away, ah!
(Chorus)
We only found his hat, ah!
His pipe case, his knife ah!
(Chorus)
His poor mom went, ah!
To pray in Sainte Anne d'Auray ah!
(Chorus)
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Notes
(1) Groix is a small island and town off the coast of Lorient in Brittany.
(2) A reef is a portion of a sail rolled and tied down to lessen the area exposed in a high wind.
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Translated by Monique and Lisa.
