Lire et écouter

The Death of Queen Jane

Queen Jane lay in labor
For nine days or more
‘Til her women grew so tired,
They could no longer there
They could no longer there

« Good women, good women,
Good women as ye be
Will you open my right side
And find my baby?
And find my baby »

« Oh no, » cried the women,
« That’s a thing that never can be
We will send for King Henry
And hear what he may say
And hear what he may say »

King Henry was sent for,
King Henry he did come
Saying, « What do ail you, my lady?
Your eyes, they look so dim
Your eyes, they look so dim »

« King Henry, King Henry,
Will you do one thing for me?
That’s to open my right side
And find my baby
And find my baby »

« Oh no », cried King Henry,
« That’s a thing I’ll never do
If I lose the flower of England,
I shall lose the branch too
I shall lose the branch too »

There was fiddling, aye, and dancing
On the day the babe was born
But poor Queen Jane beloved
Lay cold as the stone
Lay cold as the stone

P stands for Paddy

As I walked out on a bright May morn,
to take a pleasant walk.
I sat me down upon an old stone wall,
to hear two lovers talk.
For to hear what they might say my friend,
Hear what they might say.
So I might learn a little more about life
Before I go away.

Chorus:
P stands for Paddy, I suppose.
J for my love John.
W stands for folks with you
And Johnny is the fairest man.
Johnny is the fairest man my dear,
Johnny is the fairest man.
And I don’t care what anybody says
For Johnny is the fairest man.

Don’t sit you down beside me, he said.
Not now nor any other day.
I hear that you have another little lad
and your heart’s no longer mine.
Your heart’s no longer mine he said,
Your heart’s no longer mine.
I hear that you have another little lad
And your heart’s no longer mine.

Chorus

I’ll go climb a tall fine tree,
Up to a Wild Bird’s nest.
When I’ll come down I’ll care a little more
about the girl that I love best.
The girl that I love best he said,
The girl that I love best.
When I’ll come down I’ll care a little more
About the girl that I love best.

Chorus

The Frost Is All Over

What would you do if the kettle boiled over?
What would I do? Only fill it again.
And what would you do if the cow ate the clover?
What would I do only set it again.

The praties are dug and the frost is all over
Kitty lies over close to the wall.
How would you like to be married to a soldier?
Kitty lies over close to the wall.

The praties all boil and the herring’s a roasting
Kitty lies over close to the wall.
You to be drunk and me to be sober
Kitty lies over close to the wall.

What would you do if you married a soldier
what would you do would you follow his gun?
And what would you do if he drowned in the ocean
what would you do would you marry again?

Fishing Blues

Betcha goin fishin all of your time,
Baby’s goin fishing too
Bet your life, your sweet life,
She gonna catch more fish than you
Many fish bites if ya got good bait
Here’s a little tip that I would like to relate

Big fish bites if ya got a good bait
I ‘m goin a-fishin
Yes I’m goin a-fishin
And my baby’s goin fishin too.

I went down to my favorite fishin hole
Baby grabbed me a pole and line
Throw my pole on in, caught a nine pound catfish
Now I brought him on home for supper time.
Many fish bites if ya got good bait
Here’s a little tip that I would like to relate

Baby brother ‘bout to run me outa my mind
Say can I go fishin wit you?
I took him on down to the fishin hole
Now what do you think that he did do?
Pulled a great big fish outa the bottom of the pond
And he laughed and jumped cause he was real gone.

Put ‘em in the pot baby, put ‘em in the pan
Honey cook ‘em til they’re nice and brown
Make a batch of buttermilk, Hoe cakes mama
And you chew them things and you chomp ‘em on down
Many fish bites if ya got good bait
Here’s a little tip that I would like to relate

Betcha goin fishin all of your time,
Baby’s goin fishing too
Bet your life, your sweet life,
She gonna catch more fish than you
Many fish bites if ya got good bait
Here’s a little tip that I would like to relate.
Big fish bites if ya got a good bait
I ‘m goin a-fishin
Yes I’m goin a-fishin
And my baby’s goin fishin too.

I ‘m goin a-fishin
Yes I’m goin a-fishin
And my baby’s goin fishin too.

The Lowlands

I’m heading for the Lowlands, won’t you please direct my way
The train is leaving shortly, there’s no time for delay
She told me she’d be waiting, I’m not so sure she is
I think that there’s another, who claims that she is his

The Lowlands were my home when I was but a child
They will be my death bed when I’ve passed my time

I remember one summer day, the clouds began to build
We gathered the cattle which had scattered across the fields
It started to rain and continued several days
The river overflowed and the crops all went to waste

The Lowlands were my home when I was but a child
They will be my death bed when I’ve passed my time

You know that I’m no failure, though my victories are few
I’m trying my best but there’s too much here to do
That girl I loved once told me I made her feel secure
It’s hard to think I’ve been replaced but nothing does endure

The Lowlands were my home when I was but a child
They will be my death bed when I’ve passed my time

The City Of Chicago

Chorus : In the city of Chicago
As the evening shadows fall
There are people dreaming
Of the hills of Donegal

Eighteen forty-seven
Was the year it all began
Deadly pains of hunger
Drove a million from the land.
They journeyed not for glory,
Their motive was not greed,
A voyage of survival
Across the stormy sea.

Chorus

Some of them knew fortune
Some of them knew fame
More of them knew hardship
And died upon the plain.
They spread throughout the nation,
They rode the railroad cars,
Brought their songs and music
To ease their lonely hearts.

Chorus

The Little Drummer

One fine summer’s morning, both gallant and gay,
Twenty-four ladies went out on the quay,
And a regiment of soldiers it did pass them by,
A drummer and one of them soon caught his eye.

He went to his comrade and to him did say,
« Twenty-four ladies I saw yesterday,
Oh, but one of those ladies she has me heart won,
And if she denies me then surely I’m done. »

« Go to this lady and tell her your mind
Tell her she’s wounded your poor heart inside.
Go and tell her she’s wounded your poor heart, full sore,
And if she denies you what can she do more? »

So early next morning the young man arose,
Dressed himself up in a fine suit of clothes,
With a watch in his pocket and a cane in his hand,
Saluting the ladies he walked down the strand.

He went up to her and he said « Pardon me,
Pardon me lady for making so free,
Oh me fine honored lady, you have me heart won,
And if you deny me then surely I’m done. »

« Be off little drummer, now what do you mean?
For I’m the lord’s daughter of Ballycasteen.
Oh, I’m the lord’s daughter that’s honored, you see,
Be off little drummer, you’re making too free. »

He put on his hat and he bade her farewell
Saying « I’ll send my soul down to heaven or hell.
For with this long pistol that hangs by my side,
Oh, I’ll put an end to my own dreary life. »

« Come back little drummer, and don’t take it ill,
For I do want to be guilty of sin,
To be guilty of innocent blood for to spill.
Come back little drummer, I’m here at your will. »

« We’ll hire a car and to Bansheer we’ll go.
There we’ll be married in spite of our foes.
Oh, but what can they say when it’s over and done,
But I fell in love with the roll of your drum? »

A Kiss In The Morning Early

‘Twas early one morning a fair maid arose
And dressed herself up in the finest of clothes
And off to the shoemaker’s shop sure she goes
For the kiss in the morning early

The cobbler arose and he soon let her in
His awl and his hammer were neat as a pin
And he had the will for to greet her so slim
With a kiss in the morning early

O Cobbler, o cobbler, ’tis soon we’ll be wed
And nestling together in a fine feather bed
So give me two shoes with two buckles of red
For my kiss in the morning early

The maid hid the shoes at the back of her waist
She praised his good cobbling and shoemaker’s taste
And home to her father she mournfully faced
And it was in the morning early

O Father, o Father, I’ve got me a man
And he is the one I would wed if I can
As handsome as ever in leather did stand
For my kiss in the morning early

So the father was thinking and thinking again
For to wed her to riches and have him for kin
Who knows but it might be a prince or a king
That she met in the morning early

Who knows but it might be a jobber from town
Or a wealthy sea captain who’s sailed the world round
A man with some thousands and thousands of pounds
That she met in the morning early

So the father was smiling, his daughter embraced
And touching the buckles he drew back in haste
He spied the red shoes that were tied round her waist
Oh it was in the morning early

O daughter, o daughter, he started to shout
When he did discover what she was about
God knows ’twas none but that old cobbling clout
That you met in the morning early »

Both Sides The Tweed

What’s the spring-breathing jasmine and rose ?
What’s the summer with all its gay train
Or the splendour of autumn to those
Who’ve bartered their freedom for gain?

Let the love of our land’s sacred rights
To the love of our people succeed
Let friendship and honour unite
And flourish on both sides the Tweed

No sweetness the senses can cheer
Which corruption and bribery bind
No brightness that gloom can e’er clear
For honour’s the sum of the mind

Let the love of our land’s sacred rights
To the love of our people succeed
Let friendship and honour unite
And flourish on both sides the Tweed

Let virtue distinguish the brave
Place riches in lowest degree
Think them poorest who can be a slave
Them richest who dare to be free

Let the love of our land’s sacred rights
To the love of our people succeed
Let friendship and honour unite
And flourish on both sides the Tweed

Let friendship and honour unite
And flourish on both sides the Tweed

Chonnlaigh ghlais an Fhoghmhair

Ar chonnlaigh ghlais an Fhoghmhair
A stóirín gur dhearc mé uaim
Ba deas do chos i mbróig
‘Sba ró-dheas do leagan siubhail.
Do ghruaidh ar dhath na rósaí
‘Sdo chúirníní bhí fighte dlúith
Monuar gan sinn ‘ár bpósadh
Nó’r bórd luinge ‘triall ‘un siubhail.

Tá buachaillí na h-áite seo
A’ gartha ‘gus ag éirghe teann
Is lucht na gcochán árd
A’ deánamh fáruis do mo chailín donn
Dá ngluaiseadh Rí na Spáinne
Thar sáile ‘s a shlóighte cruinn
Bhrúighfinn féar is fásach
‘S bhéinn ar láimh le mo chailín donn.

Ceannacht buaibh ar aontaigh’
Dá mbínn agus mo chailín donn
Gluais is tar a chéad-searc
Nó go dtéidh muid thar Ghaoth-Bearra ‘nonn
Go sgartar ó n-a chéile
Bárr na gcraobh ‘s an eala ón tuinn
Ní sgarfar sin ó chéile
‘S níl ach baois díbh á chur ‘n mur gcionn.

Chuir mé leitir scríobhtha
Annsoir mo sweetheart agus casaoid ghéar
Chuir sí chugam arís í
Go rabh a croidhe istuigh i lár mo chléibh.
Cum na h-eala is míne
Ná’n síoda ‘s ná cluimh na n-éan
Nach trom an osna ghním-se
Nuair a smaoitighim ar a bheith ‘sgaradh léi.

‘Sé chuala m/e Dé Domhnaigh
Mar chómhrádh ‘gabháil eadar mhnáibh
Go rabh sí ‘gabháil ‘a pósadh
Ar óigfhear dá bhfuil san áit.
A stóirín glac mo chomhairle
‘S a’ foghmhar seo fan mar tá
‘S cha leigim le ‘bhfuil beo thú
A stór nó ‘s tú mo ghrádh.

TRADUCTION (par Larry Keith)
The Green Stubble-Field of Autumn

On the green stubble-fields of autumn
I saw you, my sweetheart.
Nice were your feet in shoes
And wonderful your nimble gait.
Your hair the color of roses
And your ringlets tightly plaited
Alas that we’re not married
Or on board ship sailing away

The boys around here are
Laughing and getting bold
And the people of the high straw?
Are making ?? of my brown girl
If the king of spain would
Go abroad with his assembled men
I would flatten grass and rank grass
And I would be with my brown girl

Buying cows at the fair
If I were ? and my brown girl
Go and come first love
Until we go over to gaoth-bearra
Until we separate from each other
The tops of the branches and the swan
From the waves ?
That won’t separate us
And it’s only folly for you to put it ??

Eirigh’s cuir ort do chuid éadaigh

Eirigh ‘s cuir ort do chuid éadaigh Go mbearraidh mé féin do chúl
Go dté muid ‘soir easpag na hÉirne Go gceangaltar mé ‘gus tú
Bhí grá ‘s cion agam féin ort A chuid ‘en tsaol éalaigh liom
‘S nach duine dona gan chéill A scarfadh ó chéile sinn

Cuirimse croí ar a’ phósadh ‘S ar bhuachaillí óga an tsaoil
Nárbh fhearr dófa cailín deas óg acu Ná bean agus puntaí léi
Oíche mhór fhada sa gheimhreadh Nár dheas bheith ‘súgradh léi
‘Bhfarras a’ chailleach ‘srannfaí ‘S í ‘tarraingt a’ plaincead léi

Dé Máirt a rinneadh mo chleamhnas Mo chreach ‘s m’amhgar géar
Ghlac mise comhairle mo mhuintir ‘S pairt mhór do m’aimhleas é
Pósadh mise gan amhras Ar shamhailt do mhnaoi gan scéimh
‘S níl aon chailín dá gcasfaí sa ghleann damh Nach rachainn ‘un cainte léi

Nuair a théimse ‘un Aifrinn Dé Domhnaigh ‘Sé fhiafraíos gach óigfhear daom
‘Chormaic, an bhfuil tusa pósta? Ná an airíonn tú an óige ‘choích’?
‘Sé abraim is deirim féin leofa Go n’aireochainn go mór fa-raor
‘S an méid agaibh atá gan pósadh Gur agaibh atá spórt an tsaoil

Ach gheobhaidh mé hata ‘gus bróga Agus éireochaidh mé óg arais
Agus rachaidh mé amach go Gleann Domhain Sin an áit a bhfuil mórán ban
Go bhfaghaidh mé cailín deas óg ann A shiúlas a’ ród go glan
‘S nárbh fhearr liomsa leis na mná móra Ná cailleach Ghleann Domhain ‘s a ba

TRADUCTION
Arise and Dress Yourself
(Traduction anglaise par Conal O’Donnell)

Arise an’ go ‘n’ put on your clothes
That I myself may trim your hair;
To the Bishop of Erne, we’ll go before him
That you and I may become a pair.
I have got a love but I long for you -
Fly away with me, my pride and joy;
Only a fool and a senseless person
Would try to separate us, girl from boy.

I’ve put my heart upon our marriage,
And on all the young men of the world,
For wouldn’t a girl be better for them
Than a woman with plenty of gold
On one of those long nights in the winter.
‘Twould be nice to be hugging her tight
Than down beside some snoring old hag,
Pulling the blankets around at night.

Tuesday was the day that we married;
I wished it had not come so soon.
From my own people I’d taken advice,
For that was what caused my undoing:
Though true in the end I was married
To a woman with not even a smile,
And there wasn’t a girl in the valley
With whom I would not chat awhile.

When to Mass I go on a Sunday,
The young men to me they will say,
« Cormack, is it true that you’re married?
« D’you feel your youth slipped away? »
I speak, and it’s this that I tell them:
« O indeed, it is true what I say,
« And all those among you that didn’t get wed,
« You can sport through the world as you may. »

But I’ll get a hat, and a pair of boots,
And I will get back my youth again,
And I will go down to Glendowan
Where women in plenty do reign,
Till I find the young girl that will suit me just right,
Who’ll neatly walk up the country roads -
And would that I’d rather have all the big girls,
Than Glendowan’s old hag and her cows.

Farewell To The Gold

Shotover River, your gold now it’s waning
And it’s long since the color I’ve seen.
No use just sitting, and Lady Luck blaming
I’ll pack up and I’ll make a break clean.

Farewell to the gold that never I found,
Goodbye to the nuggets that somewhere abound;
For it’s only when dreaming that I see you gleaming
Down in the dark deep underground.

It’s been nearly three years since I left my old mother
For adventure and gold by the pound.
Now with Jimmy the prospector, he was another,
To the hills of Otago we were bound.

We worked the Cardrona’s dry valley all over
Old Jimmy Williams and me.
They were panning good dust on the winding shotover
So we headed down there just to see.

We sluiced and we cradled for day after day
Making hardly enough to get by;
Then a terrible flood swept poor Jimmy away
During six stormy days in July.

Lord Franklin

It was homeward bound one night on the deep
Swinging in my hammock I fell asleep
I dreamed a dream and I thought it true
Concerning Franklin and his gallant crew

With a hundred seamen he sailed away
To the frozen ocean in the month of May
To seek that passage around the pole
Where we poor sailors do sometimes go

Through cruel hardships these men did go
His ship on mountains of ice was drove
Where the Eskimo in his skin canoe
Was the only one who ever came through

In Baffin Bay where the whale fish blow
The fate of Franklin no man may know
The fate of Franklin no tongue can tell
Lord Franklin along with his sailors do dwell

And now my burden it gives me pain
For my long lost Franklin I’d cross the main
Ten thousand pounds would I freely give
To know on earth that my Franklin do live

Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore

From Derry Quay we sailed away
On the twenty-third of May
We were boarded by a pleasant crew
All bound for Americay
Fresh water there we brought on board,
Five thousand gallons or more
In case we’d run short going to New York
Far away from the Shamrock Shore

We sailed three weeks and we were all seasick,
Not a man on board was free
We were all confined unto our bunks
With no one to pity poor me
No father dear nor mother kind
To hold up me head when t’was sore,
Which made me think more on the lassie I left
On Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore

Well we safely sailed to the other side
In three and twenty days
We were taken as passengers by a man
And led round in six different ways,
We each of us had a parting glass
In case we might never meet more,
And we drank a health to old Ireland
And Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore

So fare thee well sweet Liza dear
And likewise to Derry town
And twice farewell to me comrade boys
Who dwell on that sainted ground
If fortune it ever should favour me
Or I to have money in store
I’ll come back and I’ll wed the wee lassie I left
On Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore

Sweet Thames Flow Softly

I met my girl at Woolwich Pier
Beneath the big cranes standing
And all the love I felt for her
It passed all understanding

Took her sailing on the river
Flow sweet river, flow
London town was mine to give her
Sweet Thames flow softly

Made the Thames into a crown
Flow sweet river, flow
Made a brooch of Silver town
Sweet Thames flow softly

At London Yard I held her hand
At Blackwall Point I faced her
At the Isle of Dogs I kissed her mouth
And tenderly embraced her

Heard the bells of Greenwich ringing,
Flow . . .
All the time my heart was singing,
Sweet Thames . . .

Limehouse Reach I gave her there,
Flow . . .
As a ribbon for her hair,
Sweet Thames . . .

From Shadwell Dock to Nine Elms Reach
We cheek to cheek were dancing
Her necklace made of London Bridge
Her beauty was enhancing

Kissed her once again at Wapping,
Flow . . .
After that there was no stopping,
Sweet Thames . . .

Richmond Park it was a ring
Flow…
I’d given her anything
Sweet Thames…

From Rotherhithe to Putney Bridge
My love I was declaring
And she from Kew to Isleworth
Her love for me was swearing

Love it set my heart a-burning
Flow…
Never saw the tide was turning
Sweet Thames…

Gave her Hampton Court to twist,
Flow . . .
Into a bracelet for her wrist,
Sweet Thames . . .

But now alas the tide has changed
My love she has gone from me
And winter’s frost has touched my heart
And put a blight upon me

Creeping fog is on the river,
Flow . . .
Sun and moon and stars gone with her,
Sweet Thames . . .

Swift the Thames runs to the sea,
Flow . . .
Bearing ships and part of me,
Sweet Thames . . .

The Bold Princess Royal

On the fourteenth of February
We sailed from the land,
In the bold Princess Royal
Bound for Newfoundland,
We had forty brave seamen
For our ship’s company,
And boldly from the eastward
To the westward sailed we.

We had not been sailing
Past days two or three,
When a man from our foremast
A sail he did see,
She hove down upon us
To see what we were,
And under her foremast
Black colours she wore.

Now when this bold pirate
She hove alongside,
With a large speaking trumpet,Whence come you?’ they cried.
Our captain being aft, boys,
He answered him so;
We come from fair London
And we’re bound for Cairo:

Come haul down your topsails,
Your sternsails also,
For I have a letter
To send home by you’
I’ll not haul down my topsail
Nor heave my sails to,
But shall be in some harbour,
Not alongside of you?

They fired shot after us
But could not prevail,
When the bold Princess Royal
Soon shewed them her tail,
They drove us to windward,
But couldn’t make us stay,
We hoisted our mainsail
And then bore away.

Thank God, cries our captain,
The pirate is gone.
Come down to your grog boys,
Come down everyone,
Come down to your grog boys
And be of good cheer,
For while we have sea-room,
Brave boys, never fear.

The Town That I Loved So Well

In my memory, I will always see
The town that I have loved so well
Where our school played ball
By that old gas yard wall
And we laughed through the smoke and smell

Goin’ home in the rain,
Running up the dark lane
Past the jail and down behind the fountain
Those were happy days in so many, many ways
In the town that I loved so well

There was music there in the Derry,Derry air
Like a language that we all could understand
I remember the day that I earned my first pay
When I played in a small pick-up band

There I spent my youth
And to tell you the truth
I was sad to leave it all behind me
For I’ve learned about life and I’ve found a wife
In the town that I loved so well

But when I’ve returned, how my eyes have burned
To see how a town could be brought to his knee
By the armoured cars and the bombs out bars
And the gas that hangs on every breeze

Now the army’s installed
By that old gas yard wallAnd the damned barbed-wire gets higher and higher
With their tanks and their guns, oh my God,
What have they done
To the town that I loved so well ?

Now the music is gone but they carry on
For their spirit has been bruised never broken
They will not forget but their hearts are set
On tomorrow and peace once again

For what’s done is done
And what’s gone is gone
And what’s lost is lost and gone for ever
I can only pray for a bright, brand new day
In the town that I love so well