Le Rossignol d'Été

Mon père il m'avait mariée
Vive le rossignol d'été
Mon père il m'avait mariée
Avec un bon vieillard

Mais dès la première journée
Vive le rossignol d'été
Mais dès la première journée
M'a fait t'nir la charrue

J'avais jamais touché les boeufs
Vive le rossignol joyeux
J'avais jamais touché les boeufs
Ni tenu de charrue

L'bonhomme a pris son aiguillon
Vive le rossignol mignon
L'bonhomme a pris son aiguillon
M'a fait une discipline

À la maison j'm'en suis r'tournée
Vive le rossignol d'été
À la maison j'm'en suis r'tournée
C'était pour faire mon lit

J'ai mis la plûme de mon côté
Vive le rossignol d'été
Mais du côté du bon vieillard
De grosses pierres cornues

Quand l'bonhomme vient pour se coucher
Vive le rossignol d'été
Quand l'bonhomme vient pour se coucher
Il s'a cassé trois côtes

Attrape attrape mon vieillard
Vive le rossignol gaillard
Attrape attrape mon vieillard
Car ceux-ci sont des prûnes

Ce sont des prûnes d'aiguillon
Vive le rossignol mignon
Ce sont des prûnes d'aiguillon
Les vieux sont pour les vieilles

Et les filles sont pour les garçons
Vive le rossignol mignon, vive le rossignol
mignon,
Vive le rossignol mignon

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The Summer Nightingale

My father he married me off
Here’s to the summer nightingale
My father he married me off
To an old man

But from the very first day
Here’s to the summer nightingale
But from the very first day
He made me work the plow

Never before had I touched a cow
Here’s to the summer nightingale
Never before had I touched a cow
Nor ever before held a plow

The old guy took up his spur
Here’s to the pretty nightingale
The old guy he took up his spur
And gave me a good beating

Back to the house I returned
Here’s to the summer nightingale
Back to the house I returned
So that I could make my bed

I put feathers on my side
Here’s to the summer nightingale
But on the old guy’s side
I put big sharp rocks

When the old man came to lie down
Here’s to the summer nightingale
When the old man came to lie down
He broke three ribs

A trap a snare my old man
Here’s to the summer nightingale
A trap a snare my old man
Because these are bruises

These are the bruises of the spur
Here’s to the pretty nightingale
These are the bruises of the spur
Old men are for old women

And young girls are for young men
Here’s to the pretty nightingale
Here’s to the pretty nightingale
Here’s to the pretty nightingale

Mother, Give Me a Husband (The Blazing Stove)

Mother, give me a husband
I’m telling you starting today
I want a sweet and tender one
Mama I can’t wait any longer
Marry me off because it’s time
Have my marriage announcement posted

Daughter, wait just a minute
We don’t have much money
Do you know that in marriage
You must have many household goods
There’s no way that young man
Can marry you with nothing

Mother you don’t know then
How those without goods manage
I have thirty cents in my money box
I’ll buy a bowl and a plate
A little spoon, a little knife
A soup pot and a water jug

I will sell my apron
To have pillow cases
I will sell my locks
To have blankets
The footwarmers, the bed ruffle
Will come little by little

To make my dear husband happy
I’ll make him cabbage soup
I’ll make him a piece of toast
And also a bowl of salad
My dear husband will be happy
He will not reproach me for anything

I have three small pieces of wood
To warm up the pea soup
A wood fire, a fire of coals
And we will be quite comfortable
I will sit upon his knees
Thank God, I will be in a home that is ours

C'est par un Beau Samedi d'Été

C'est par un beau samedi d'été
J'étais dans le champ après faucher
On m'pris pour être compère
J'étais content comme y'en avait guère

Quand le compère fut trouvé
Une commère a fallu chercher
On m'emmena Jabote
Ah mais ma foi tout le monde s'en moque

Quand la commère fut trouvée
Ma vieille jument a fallu atteler
Et quoi qu'elle est bien rosse
Je l'ai attelé à mon bon carosse

Quand c'est v'nu sur le p'tit côteau
Ça n'allait plus que l'ptit galop
Elle tomba dans une mare
J'aurais désiré avoir une hare

Mais c'ta la force d'la ziguoyer
Qu'ma vieille jument s'est relevée
Elle a repris sa route
Mais cependant ma catin dégoute

Quand c'est v'nu pour payer l'écho
Je n'avais plus qu'un écu faux
Je vois venir Nicole
Ah mais ma foi j'ai le coeur qui vole

J'y ai vendu mon calumet
Tout allumé pis le manche après
Aussi une belle blague
De loup marin garni en rasade

Jamais d'ma vie j'consentirai
D'être compère si mal agreyé
Ma foi c'est un scandale
Quand y faut vendre sa pipe et sa blague

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On a Beautiful Saturday in Summer

It was on a beautiful summer Saturday
I was in the field reaping hay
As a willing accomplice I was taken away
I was happier than ever before

Now that the fellow had been found
For a willing gal they looked around
Then they brought me Jabote
Oh my, whom everyone makes fun of

Once the willing gal was there
My old mare had to be harnessed
And even though she is quite ornery
I hitched her up to my good old buggy

When we got to the little knoll
She could only gallop slowly
Then she fell into a bog
I wish I had had a whip

But after pulling awhile on her bit
My old mare finally got up again
She continued anew on her way
But displeased my little doll anyway

When it came time to pay the fee
I had but one false coin remaining
Then I see Nicole a’coming
Oh my, my heart is soaring

I sold her my pipe bowl
All afire, followed by its stem
Along with a good tobacco pouch
Filled to the brim with seadog

Never in my life will I consent
To be such a poorly treated fellow
Oh my, it’s a scandal
When you have to sell your pipe and tobacco pouch