Le poney gris
Le poney gris
The Grey Pony
Chanson enfantine
Children's Song
(French)
(English)
Refrain:
HOP LA ! Galopons le long du chemin, HOP !
Hue cocotte et allons trotte
Les soucis sont pour demain (bis)
1. L'autre jour mon père ma donné... QUOI ?
Un amour de petit poney... AH ? !
Comme il est juste à ma hauteur... OH !
Je saute sur son dos sans peur... NON !
Refrain:
2. Quand les mouches sont trop hardies... QUOI ?
De la queue il les étourdit... AH ? !
Il ne risque pas de verser... OH !
Son cavalier dans le fossé... NON !
Refrain:
3. Quand nous folâtrons le jeudi*... QUOI ?
Moi et mon petit poney gris... AH ? !
Ensemble comme de bons amis... OH !
Il comprend tout ce que je lui dis... NON !
Refrain:
4. Mon papa me disait tantôt... QUOI ?
Demain tu auras une auto... AH ? !
Mais je n'en veux à aucun prix... OH !
Je préfère mon p'tit poney gris... NON !
Refrain:
Refrain:
HOP THERE! Let's gallop along the way, HOP!
Gee-up my horse, let's go trot,
All worries are left for tomorrow. (2x's)
1. The other day my father gave me... WHAT?
A dear of a little pony... AH ?!
Since he's just as tall as me... OH!
I jump on his back without fear... NO!
Refrain
2. When the flies get emboldened... WHAT?
With his tail at once he'll stun them ... AH?!
There's not a chance that he would pitch... OH!
His rider down into the ditch... NO!
Refrain
3. When we frolic around on Thursdays*... WHAT?
Me and my little grey pony... AH?!
Together like two close friends... OH!
All that I say he understands... NO!
Refrain
4. My daddy told me not long ago... WHAT?
You will have a car tomorrow... AH?!
But I don't want one at any price... OH!
I prefer my grey pony so nice... NO!
Refrain
Notes
*At the time this song was written, students in France were off on Thursdays. Today, they're off on Wednesdays.
Comments
Paula wrote, "I am not certain of its origin, but we used to sing this song in grade school in Western Quebec. The way we sang it was that everyone joined in on the chorus (refrain), then it was one person or group who sang the story sections while everyone else joined in quite LOUDLY on the questions/expressions (QUOI, AH, OH, NON)"
Monique at Mama Lisa's World en français wrote, "We used to sing Le poney gris in primary school in France in the late 50's. I've never heard it ever since, nor found it in any songbook. In our version, the first line of the last verse would go "Grand-père me disait tantôt" (Grandfather told me not long ago). We used to twist the last line of the refrain "les soucis sont pour demain" (All worries are for tomorrow) into "les saucissons pour demain" (All big sausages for tomorrow).
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Paula Gravelle for contributing this song and to Monique for translating it and for providing the midi tune.
Merci beaucoup!
