La légende de Saint Nicolas
La légende de Saint Nicolas
The Legend of Saint Nicholas
Chanson enfantine
Children's Song
(French)
(English)
Refrain:
Ils étaient trois petits enfants
Qui s'en allaient glaner aux champs.
1. Tant sont allés tant sont venus,
Que sur le soir se sont perdus.
S'en sont allés chez le boucher:
"Boucher voudrais-tu nous loger ?"
Refrain
2. Ils n'étaient pas sitôt entrés
Que le boucher les a tués
Les a coupés en p'tits morceaux,
Mis au saloir comme pourceaux. *
Refrain
3. Saint Nicolas au bout d' sept ans
Vint à passer dedans ce champ,
Alla frapper chez le boucher:
"Boucher voudrais-tu me loger ?"
Refrain
4. Entrez, entrez, Saint Nicolas,
Il y a d' la place, il n'en manqu' pas."
Il n'était pas sitôt entré
Qu'il a demandé à souper.
Refrain
5. "Du p'tit salé je veux avoir,
Qu'il y a sept ans qu'est au saloir".
Quand le boucher entendit ça,
Hors de sa porte il s'enfuya **
Refrain
6."Boucher, boucher, ne t'enfuis pas !
Repens-toi, Dieu te pardonnera".
Saint Nicolas alla s'asseoir
Dessus le bord de ce saloir
Refrain:
7."Petits enfants qui dormez là,
Je suis le grand Saint Nicolas."
Le grand saint étendit trois doigts,
Les p'tits se levèrent tous les trois.
Refrain
8. Le premier dit: "J'ai bien dormi".
Le second dit:" Et moi aussi".
A ajouté le plus petit:
"Je me croyais au paradis !"
Refrain
(Chorus)
There were three little children
Who went a-gathering in the fields.
1. They went so much to, and so much fro,
That by the evening they had gotten lost.
They went to the butcher's house.
"Butcher, would you give us lodging?"
(Chorus)
2. No sooner had they come in,
Then the butcher killed them.
He cut them into small pieces,
Put them in the salting-tub as piglets.*
(Chorus)
3. After seven years passed, Saint Nicholas
Happened to cross that field.
He went to knock on the butcher's door,
"Butcher, would you give me lodging?"
(Chorus)
4. "Come in, come in, Saint Nicholas.
There's room, no shortage of it."
No sooner had he come in,
Then he requested supper.
(Chorus)
5. "I want some of the salted meat
That's been in the salting-tub for seven years."
When the butcher heard that
He ran away from his house.
(Chorus)
6. "Butcher, butcher, don't run away!
Repent, God will forgive you."
Saint Nicholas went to sit down
On the edge of the salting-tub.
(Chorus)
7."Little children who are sleeping here
I am the great Saint Nicholas."
The great saint stretched out three fingers.
The little ones got up, all three of them.
(Chorus)
8. The first one said "I slept well."
The second one said "And I did too."
The youngest one added:
"I thought I was in paradise!"
(Chorus)
Notes
Another version of the 2nd verse:
"Entrez, entrez, petits enfants
Il y a d' la place assurément."
Ils n'étaient pas sitôt entrés,
Que le boucher les a tués.
English Translation:
"Come in, come in, little children
There's room, for sure."
No sooner had they come in,
Then the butcher killed them.
**It's "s'enfuya" instead of "s'enfuit" to keep the rhyme.
Comments
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Jade Kite for contributing this song. Translated by Monique and Lisa.
Image: "Les légendes de France" (1885) by Henry Carnoy.
Merci!
