A Cajun Louisiana version of "À la claire fontaine"...

Notes

*"fût" in standard French

This version is as sung by Alma Barthélémy, recorded on July 24th 1970 in Diamond, Louisiana, by Roger Masson. You can hear a small part of the recording here. You can find it on the Louisiana Folk Masters, Women's Home Music – 1937-1995 CD or on "Français d'Amérique" from the "Anthologie des musiques traditionnelles" CD set, Frémeaux.

Longer (and very slightly different) version:

Par derrière chez mon père, je me suis promené
Sul bord de la fontaine, je me suis reposé,

Refrain
Ohé !
Il y a longtemps que je t'aime,
Jamais j' vas t'oublier.

Sul bord de la fontaine, je me suis reposé,
J'ai trouvé l'eau si belle que je me suis baigné,

(Refrain)

J'ai trouvé l'eau si belle que je me suis baigné,
À la plus haute branche le rossignol chantait,

(Refrain)

À la plus haute branche le rossignol chantait,
Chant', rossignole chante, toi qu'a le cœur si gai,

(Refrain)

Chant', rossignole chante, toi qu'a le cœur si gai,
Tu as le cœur à rire, moi, je l'ai t-à pleurer,

(Refrain)

Tu as le cœur à rire, moi, je l'ai t-à pleurer,
J'ai perdu ma maîtresse, c'est d'avoir trop parlé,

(Refrain)

J'ai perdu ma maîtresse, c'est d'avoir trop parlé,
Je voudrais que la belle fût à mes g'noux tombée,

(Refrain)

Je voudrais que la belle fût à mes g'noux tombée,
Je voudrais que la rose fût à-à mon côté,

(Refrain)

Je voudrais que la rose fût à-à mon côté,
Et ma charmante belle fût dans mon lit couchée,

(Refrain)

Et ma charmante belle fût dans mon lit couchée,
Par un baiser de bouche que je l'aie réveillée,

(Refrain)

Par un baiser de bouche que je l'aie réveillée,
J'ai perdu ma maîtresse, c'est d'avoir trop parlé.

English Translation

Behind my father's house, I went to stroll
On the edge of the fountain, I took a rest.

(Chorus)
O-hey
So long I've been loving you
I'll never forget you.

On the edge of the fountain, I took a rest,
I found the water so nice that I went to bathe inside.

(Chorus)

I found the water so nice that I went to bathe inside,
On the highest branch a nightingale was singing.

(Chorus)

On the highest branch a nightingale was singing,
Sing nightingale, sing, your heart is so happy.

(Chorus)

Sing nightingale, sing, your heart is so happy,
Your heart feels like laughing, mine feels like weeping.

(Chorus)

Your heart feels like laughing, mine feels like weeping,
I lost my beloved, because I talked too much.

(Chorus)

I lost my beloved, because I talked too much,
I wanted the fair lady to have fallen down at my knees.

(Chorus)

I wanted the fair lady to have fallen down at my knees,
I wanted the rose to be by my side.

(Chorus)

I wanted the rose to be by my side,
And my sweet lady fair to be lying in my bed.

(Chorus)

And my sweet lady fair to be lying in my bed,
With a kiss on her mouth, I'd wake her up.

(Chorus)

With a kiss on her mouth, I'd wake her up,
I lost my beloved because I talked too much.

Thanks and Acknowledgements

Contributed by Monique. Translated by Monique Palomares and Lisa Yannucci.

Merci beaucoup !