La chanson de Mardi Gras de Basile
On Mardi Gras in Basile, Louisiana, groups of people disguise themselves in colorful costumes and go to houses and farms singing this song and begging for ingredients to make gumbo. This is called the Courir de Mardi Gras. Sometimes they go on horseback. Later they return to town with the ingredients they procured and (traditionally) the women make a great big gumbo for the whole village.
The captain is the leader of the group. He leads this call and response song, singing the first part, while the group sings the response (the chorus).
La chanson de Mardi Gras de Basile
The Mardi Gras Song of Basile
Mardi Gras Song
Mardi Gras Song
(Cajun French)
(English)
Capitaine:
Capitaine, capitaine,
voyage ton flag et hale ton camp.
Chorus:
Tout le tour autour du moyeu.
Capitaine:
La route est grande,
la nuit est longue,
et les belles sont pas invitées.*
C'est les Mardi Gras,
ça vient une fois par an
demander la charité.
Une fois par an,
c'est pas trop souvent
pour vous quand même.
Chorus:
C'est hip, c'est hip, c'est hop,
et mon cher de camarade.
C'est hip, c'est hip, c'est hop,
et mon cher de camarade.
Capitaine:
C'est les Mardi Gras
ça devient de loin,
ça devient de l'Angleterre.
Chorus:
Tout le tour autour du moyeu.
Capitaine:
C'est les Mardi Gras
c'est tout des bons jeunes gens,
Des bons jeunes gens ça
devient de bonnes familles.
Chorus:
Tout le tour autour du moyeu.
Capitaine:
C'est pas des malfecteurs.
C'est juste des chamondeurs.
Chorus:
C'est hip, c'est hip, c'est hop,
et mon cher de camarade.
C'est hip, c'est hip, c'est hop,
et mon cher de camarade.
Capitaine:
C'est les Mardi Gras,
ça demande à la maitresse,
À la maitresse pour
une petite poule grasse
et du riz ou de la graisse.
Chorus:
Tout le tour autour du moyeu.
Pour faire leur grand gumbo
ce soir à Grand Basile.
Chorus:
C'est hip, c'est hip, c'est hop,
et mon cher de camarade.
C'est hip, c'est hip, c'est hop,
et mon cher de camarade.
Capitaine:
Tu me promettrais ci,
tu me promettrais ça,
mais tu m'en donneras pas.
Chorus:
Tout le tour autour du moyeu.
C'est hip, c'est hip, c'est hop,
et mon cher de camarade.
C'est hip, c'est hip, c'est hop,
et mon cher de camarade.
Capitaine:
Capitaine, Capitaine
les sauvages ça
peut plus chanter à force
que leur gorge est sec.
Chorus:
Tout le tour autour du moyeu.
Capitaine:
Une bonne petite bière fraide**
les ferait chanter meilleur.
Chorus:
C'est hip, c'est hip, c'est hop,
et mon cher de camarade.
C'est hip, c'est hip, c'est hop,
et mon cher de camarade
Captain:
Captain, captain,
Wave your flag and move your group along.
Chorus:
All round about the hub.
Captain:
The road is great,
the night is long,
and women aren't invited.*
It's Mardi Gras,
it just once a year
to ask for charity.
Once a year,
it's not too often
for you anyway.
Chorus:
It's hip, it's hip, it's hop,
and my dear fellow.
It's hip, it's hip, it's hop,
and my dear fellow.
Captain:
It's the Mardi Gras
It comes from far
It comes from England.
Chorus:
All round about the hub.
Captain:
It's the Mardi Gras
It's all the good young people,
The good young people that
Come from good families.
Chorus:
All round about the hub.
Captain:
They are not troublemakers.
They're just beggars.
Chorus:
It's hip, it's hip, it's hop,
and my dear fellow.
It's hip, it's hip, it's hop,
and my dear fellow.
Captain:
The Mardi Gras
Asks the mistress,
The mistress for
a small fat hen
and rice or fat.
Chorus:
All round about the hub
To make their giant gumbo
tonight in Grand Basile.
Chorus:
It's hip, it's hip, it's hop,
and my dear fellow.
It's hip, it's hip, it's hop,
and my dear fellow.
Captain:
You would promise me this,
You would promise me that,
but you won't give it to me.
Chorus:
All round about the hub.
It's hip, it's hip, it's hop,
and my dear fellow.
It's hip, it's hip, it's hop,
and my dear fellow.
Captain:
Captain, captain
The savages,
they can sing no longer
because their throat is dry.
Chorus:
All round about the hub.
Captain:
A good small cold beer
would make them sing better.
Chorus:
It's hip, it's hip, it's hop,
and my dear fellow.
It's hip, it's hip, it's hop,
and my dear fellow.
Notes
*Starting in the 1980's women started joining in this tradition.
**Froid in standard French (meaning cold).
Comments
The Courir de Mardi Gras in Basile includes the tradition of begging for nickels (called cinq sous).
Thanks!
Thanks!