Au Chant de l’alouette is a bouncing call and response song that describes a young girl’s encounter with an talking Lark while out picking berries. After accidentally stepping on the lark, the young girl is chastised by the bird. In our seconded interview, Irene informed me this song is a traditional french children’s song she learned in parochial school.
Lyrics: Au chant de l’alouette
French:
On m’envoi au champs c’est pour y cueillir
On m’envoi au champs c’est pour y cueillir
Je n’ai point cueilli, j’ai cherche des nids
Refrain:
Au chant de l’alouette je veille et je dors
J’écoute a l’alouette et puis je m’en dors
Je n’ai point cueilli, j’ai cherche des nids
Je n’ai point cueilli, j’ai cherche des nids
J’ai trouve la caille assis sur son nid
Refrain
J’ai trouvé la caille couchée sur son nid,
J’ai trouvé la caille couchée sur son nid,
J’ lui marchai sur l’aile et la lui rompis.
Refrain
Lui marche sur l’aile et la lui rompit
Lui marche sur l’aile et la lui rompit
Elle m’a dit “Poucelle, retire-toi d’ici”
Refrain
Elle m’a dit “Poucelle, retire-toi d’ici”
Elle m’a dit “Poucelle, retire-toi d’ici”
Je n’suis pas poucelle, que j’lui repondit
English:
The song of the lark
They send me to the field to harvest
They send me to the field to harvest
I didn’t pick anything, I looked for nests
Refrain:
To the songs of the lark, I awake and I sleep,
I listened to the lark then I fell asleep,
I didn’t pick, I looked for nests,
I didn’t pick, I looked for nests,
I found the quail lying on her nest.
Refrain
I found the quail lying on her nest.
I found the quail lying on her nest.
I stepped on her wing and I broke it
Refrain
I stepped on her wing and I broke it
I stepped on her wing and I broke it
She said to me ‘Virgin’ go away from here
Refrain
She said to me ‘Virgin’ go away from here
She said to me ‘Virgin’ go away from here
“I’m no virgin”, I responded
