Page 41 - Marguerite Gallant: Songs and Stories

ISSUE : Issue 20

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1978/8/1

Viens deposer ton nid sur ma fenetre Un jour cruel peut chasser si que moi Viens deposer ton nid sur ma fenetre Ne suis-je pas en exile comme toi? Ne suis-je pas en exile comme toi? That's a soldier singing to a swallow at his window, asking, "Am I not in exile, just like you?" It's a beautiful song. That song was made from the Dispersion of the Acadians. They sang it long ago when I was a child. These are the kind of songs I'd hear right in the house. My mother was a beautiful singer. I think this is a nice song: Qui est-ce qui me passera le bois Moi qui est si petite Ca sera monsieur que voila Oh, qu'il a bonne mine Sommes-nous a la rive des bois Sommes-nous a la rive Ca sera monsieur que voila Oh qu'il a bonne mine Quand on fvme au milieu du bois La belle s'est mise a rire (Refrain) Quand on fume au milieu du bois La belle s'est mise a rire Quoi qu'a vous belle oh qu'a vous done Oh qu'a vous a temps rire (Refrain) Oh qu'a vous belle, oh qu'a vous done Oh qu'a vous S temps rire Je ris de toi, je ris de moi De nos folies entreprises (Refrain) Je ris de toi, je ris de moi De nos folies entreprises C'est de'n m'avoir passe le bois Sans petit mot lui dire (Refrain) C'est de'n m'avoir passe le bois Sans petit mot lui dire Oh reyenez belle, oh revenez Je vous donnerai cent livres (Refrain) Oh revenez belle, oh revenez Je vous donnerai cent livres Ni pour un cent, ni pour deux cents Ni pour trois, ni pour mille (Refrain) Ni pour un cent, ni pour deux cents Ni pour trois, ni pour mille Y'a fallu plumer la perdrix Tandis qu'elle etait prise Well, in that song there was a young girl and she had kind of a forest to cross and she wanted a young man to cross with her • and there was one there she liked him very much because he had a very good appearance. And then when she was in the middle of the forest she started to laugh. And she laughed and she laughed and laughed until the man asked her what was wrong. But by . then they were out of the forest. She said that she was laughing at him and that she was laughing at herself and the foolish enterprise. That he had Crossed the forest without opening his mouth, without saying anything to her. He says, "0 come back, come back, I'll give you one himdred pounds, two himdred pounds, three hundred poxmds." And she says to him, "I wouldn't go back for one hundred pounds, not for two hundred pounds, not for three hundred pounds. You have to pluck the partridge when she was well caught." I'm not afraid of my dreams. Even if I would see someone who had died, so what? I had a dream once that took all my fright. My mother had bought these prayer beads and a prayer book from an old lady. That was in Glace Bay. So she gave them to me. Great big long beautiful prayer beads. And after ray mother died, my father had a cous? in and she was a Sister and she gave him a crucifix • and I put this on the rosary bead. And one night • and I swear I was a- wake • and I swear this took all the fright I ever had in me and it never came back and I've never been afraid since • whether I was awake or sleeping I don't know. Any? way, I began to see by my bed two persons. For Dependable Service, welcome to Proprietor, Paul Boudreau 224-2200 Boudreau Shell Service on Rte. 19?? at the entr?ince to Cheticamp All Make Car Repairs and Service We Sell and are the Service Depot for: MAZDA BRIGGS and STRATTON MTD PRODUCTS as well as PARTNER and the HUSQVARNA Chain Saws

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