Il était un petit homme
This song is about hunting for "Maybugs" (also called cockchafers). They caused great damage to crops. Children would hunt for them to play with them, but they were also hunted to be destroyed.
Il était un petit homme
There Was A Little Man
Chanson enfantine
Children's Song
(French)
(English)
Il était un petit homme
À cheval sur un bâton
Il s'en allait à la chasse
À la chasse aux z' hannetons.
Et ti ton tain' et ti ton tain'
Et ti ton tain' et ti ton ton.
Il s'en allait à la chasse
À la chasse aux z'hannetons
Quand il fut sur la montagne
Il partit un coup d' canon.
Et ti ton tain' et ti ton tain'
Et ti ton tain' et ti ton ton.
Quand il fut sur la montagne
Il partit un coup d' canon
Il en eut si peur tout d' même
Qu'il tomba sur ses talons.
Et ti ton tain' et ti ton tain'
Et ti ton tain' et ti ton ton.
Il en eut si peur tout d' même
Qu'il tomba sur ses talons
Tout's les dames du village
Lui portèrent des bonbons.
Et ti ton tain' et ti ton tain'
Et ti ton tain' et ti ton ton.
Tout's les dames du village
Lui portèrent des bonbons
Je vous remercie, mesdames,
De vous et de vos bonbons.
Et ti ton tain' et ti ton tain'
Et ti ton tain' et ti ton ton.
Je vous remercie mesdames
De vous et de vos bonbons.
Quand vous pass'rez à la ville
N'oubliez pas not' maison.
Et ti ton tain' et ti ton tain'
Et ti ton tain' et ti ton ton.
Quand vous pass'rez à la ville
N'oubliez pas not' maison.
J' vous cuisin'rai dans la casse
Des mouches et des hannetons
Et ti ton tain' et ti ton tain'
Et ti ton tain' et ti ton ton.
There was a little man
Riding a stick,
He was going a-hunting,
A-hunting maybugs
And tee ton ten and tee ton ten
And tee ton ten and tee ton ton.
He was going a-hunting,
A-hunting maybugs
When he was on the mountain
A cannon fired.
And tee ton ten and tee ton ten
And tee ton ten and tee ton ton.
When he was on the mountain
A cannon fired.
He was so afraid
That he even fell on his heels.
And tee ton ten and tee ton ten
And tee ton ten and tee ton ton.
He was so afraid
That he even fell on his heels.
All of the village ladies
Brought him sweets.
And tee ton ten and tee ton ten
And tee ton ten and tee ton ton.
All of the village ladies
Brought him sweets.
I thank you, my ladies,
For all of you and for your sweets.
And tee ton ten and tee ton ten
And tee ton ten and tee ton ton.
I thank you, my ladies,
For all of you and for your sweets.
When you pass through the city,
Remember our house.
And tee ton ten and tee ton ten
And tee ton ten and tee ton ton.
When you pass through the city,
Remember our house.
I'll cook for you in the cauldron
Flies and maybugs.
And tee ton ten and tee ton ten
And tee ton ten and tee ton ton.
Notes
According to Wikipedia cockchafers (maybugs) have been a major problem for crops in the past:
"Collecting adults was an only moderately successful method. In the Middle Ages, pest control was rare, and people had no effective means to protect their harvest. This gave rise to events that seem bizarre from a modern perspective. In 1320, for instance, cockchafers were brought to court in Avignon [France] and sentenced to withdraw within three days onto a specially designated area, otherwise they would be outlawed. Subsequently since they failed to comply, they were collected and killed. (Similar animal trials also occurred for many other animals in the Middle Ages.)
In some areas and times, cockchafers were even served as food. A 19th century recipe from France for cockchafer soup reads: 'roast one pound of cockchafers without wings and legs in sizzling butter, then cook them in a chicken soup, add some veal liver and serve with chives on a toast'. "
May bugs were also eaten in Germany.
If you're curious about how Maybug Soup was made, you can read about it on Mama Lisa's Blog.
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Translation: Monique & Lisa
Illustration: Lila
