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Daily Archives: February 20, 2012

A Voyageur Song: “Mon merle”

20 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by michelinewalker in Folksongs

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Voyageur folksong, words and music

Mon merle

Mon merle (My Blackbird)

This song is difficult to translate as the blackbird, le merle, loses first its beak, then an eye, then its head, its neck, its back, its wing and, finally its tail.

In each stanza, the last lost body part is added to the previous loss.  The song grows.

CHORUS:

Comment veux-tu mon merle, mon merle?
Comment veux-tu mon merle chanter?
How do you want my blackbird, my blackbird?
How do you want my blackbird to sing ?
 
1.  Mon merle a perdu son bec. (2) its beak
(My blackbird has lost its beak.)
Un bec, deux becs, trois becs, marlo. one…, two… three…, marlo
CHORUS
 
2.  Mon merle a perdu son œil. (2) its eye: un œil (plural: yeux)
(My blackbird has lost its eye.)
Un œil, deux yeux, trois yeux,
Un bec, deux becs, trois becs, marlo.
CHORUS
 
3.  Mon merle a perdu sa tête. (2) its head
(My blackbird has lost its head.)
Une tête, deux têtes, trois têtes,
Un œil, deux yeux, trois yeux,
Un bec, deux becs, trois becs, marlo.
CHORUS
 
4.  Mon merle a perdu son cou. (2) its neck
(My blackbird has lost its neck.)
Un cou, deux cous, trois cous,
Une tête, deux têtes, trois têtes,
Un œil, deux yeux, trois yeux,
Un bec, deux becs, trois becs, marlo.
CHORUS
 
5.  Mon merle a perdu son dos. (2) its back
(My blackbird has lost its back.)
Un dos, deux dos, trois dos,
Un cou, deux cous, trois cous,
Une tête, deux têtes, trois têtes,
Un œil, deux yeux, trois yeux,
Un bec, deux becs, trois becs, marlo.
CHORUS
 
6. Mon merle a perdu son aile. (2) its wing
(My blackbird has lost its wing.)
Une aile, deux ailes, trois ailes,
Un dos, deux dos, trois dos,
Un cou, deux cous, trois cous,
Une tête, deux têtes, trois têtes,
Un œil, deux yeux, trois yeux,
Un bec, deux becs, trois becs, marlo.
CHORUS
 
7. Mon merle a perdu sa queue. (2)  its tale
(My blackbird has lost its tale.)
Une queue, deux queues, trois queues,
Un dos, deux dos, trois dos,
Un cou, deux cous, trois cous,
Une tête, deux têtes, trois têtes
Un œil, deux yeux, trois yeux,
Un bec, deux becs, trois becs, marlo.
CHORUS
 
 
imagesCAXYWP38
 
 
(please click on the tile to hear the song) 
06 Mon merle 
_________________________
Theodore C. Blegen, Songs of the Voyageurs
(St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1998 [1966])
Université de Moncton, New Brunswick, 30-voice male choir  
0.000000 0.000000

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