Auprès de ma blonde / Le Prisonnier de Hollande
The text was inspired by Louis XIV’s campaign against Holland (1672-78), during which French soldiers were taken prisoner. It is attributed to an André Joubert du Collet, who was a prisoner of the Dutch for two years, during which he supposedly wrote the song in honor of his wife. After his (tardy) liberation, he (again supposedly) offered it in thanks to Louis XIV. See the French Wikipédia article. It became a popular marching-song.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aupr%C3%A8s_de_ma_blonde
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aupr%C3%A8s_de_ma_blonde
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aupr%C3%A8s_de_ma_blonde
https://www.maurozuccante.com/wordpress/aupres-de-ma-blonde.html
Les Petits chanteurs de l'Ile de France
Chanson historique de France
Armand Mestral
Lucienne Vernay et Les Quatre Barbus https://youtu.be/1YrvkaYVjSQ
Olivia Chaney https://youtu.be/lY2izR3fN_U
Auprès de ma blonde
1 Dans les jardins de mon père
Les lauriers1 sont fleuris. (bis)
Tous les oiseaux du monde
Y viennent fair’ leur nid.
Auprès de ma blonde,
Qu’il fait bon, fait bon, fait bon,
Auprès de ma blonde,
Qu’il fait bon dormir.
2 La caill’, la tourterelle
Et la jolie perdrix (bis)
Et ma jolie colombe
Qui chante jour et nuit.
Auprès de ma blonde,...
3 Ell’ chante pour les filles
Qui n’ont pas de mari. (bis)
Pour moi ne chante guère,2)
Car j’en ai un joli.
Auprès de ma blonde,...
4 Il est dans la Hollande,
les Hollandais l’ont pris. (bis)
« Que donn’riez-vous, la belle,
Pour le voir revenir? »
Auprès de ma blonde,...
5 Je donnerais Versailles,
Paris et Saint Denis, (bis)
Les tours de Babylone,3
La cloch’ de mon pays!4
Auprès de ma blonde,...
In the gardens of my father
The laurel is in bloom. (twice)
All the birds in the world
Come there to make their nests.
Next to my fair-haired lady,
How good it is, it is, it is,
Next to my fair-haired lady,
How good it is to sleep.
The quail, the turtle-dove,
And the pretty partridge (twice),
And my pretty dove
Who sings day and night.
Next to my fair-haired, etc.
She is singing for the girls
Who don’t have a husband. (twice)
For me she is scarcely singing,
For I have a pretty one.
Next to my fair-haired, etc.
He is in Holland,
The Hollanders have taken him (prisoner).
“What would you give, lovely one,
To see him return?”
Next to my fair-haired, etc.
I would give Versailles,
Paris and St-Denis (twice),
The towers of Babylon,
The bell of my parish church!
Next to my fair-haired, etc.
1. Pour moi ne chante guère – 1) The verbe “chante” is lacking a subject (which must be elle), but what of that? Passi graviora. 2) Please observe the negative particle guère. (Having observed it, then act accordingly. ↩
2. Alternative: Les tours de Notre-Dame. ↩
3. Note the crescendo here: she would give first Versailles (the royal residence), Paris (the capital), St-Denis (burial place of kings, symbol of the mutual support of Church and State), Babylon (the exotic capital of the ancient Near East), and, to top everything else off: the church-bell of her locality. ↩
From: https://www.madbeppo.com/french-songs/aupres-de-ma-blonde/.
Vicino alla mia donna
Nel giardino di mio padre
I lillà sono fioriti
Nel giardino di mio padre
I lillà sono fioriti
Tutti gli uccelli del mondo
Vengono a farci il nido.
(ritornello)
Vicino alla mia donna,
Come si sta bene!
Vicino alla mia donna,
Come si dorme bene!
La quaglia, la tortorarella
E la bella pernice
La quaglia, la tortorarella
E la bella pernice
E la mia bella colomba
Che canta notte e giorno.
(ritornello)
Lei canta per le ragazze
Che non hanno un marito
Lei canta per le ragazze
Che non hanno un marito
Per me non canta affatto
Perché ne ho uno bello.
(ritornello)
"Ditemi dunque, bella,
Dov'è vostro marito?"
"Ditemi dunque, bella,
Dov'è vostro marito?"
E' in Olanda
Gli olandesi l'hanno preso.
(ritornello)
"Cosa dareste, bella,
Per riavere vostro marito?"
"Cosa dareste, bella,
Per riavere vostro marito?"
Darei Versailles
Paris e Saint-Denis.
(ritornello)
Le torri di Notre-Dame
E gli orologi del mio paese
Le torri di Notre-Dame
E gli orologi del mio paese
E la mia bella colomba
Per riavere mio marito.
(ritornello)
