Le petit matelot
A sea shanty from the 18th century.
Le petit matelot
The Little Sailor
Chanson de marins
Sea Shanty
(French)
(English)
C'était un petit matelot
Sur les flots de la mer indienne
C'était un petit matelot
Oh, oh, petit matelot.
Voguait de Brest jusqu'à Frisco*
Sur les flots de la mer indienne
Un jour le temps se fit très gros
Oh, oh, petit matelot.
Serr' les voiles tout le monde en haut
Sur les flots de la mer indienne
Tombe de plus de vingt mètres de haut
Oh, oh, petit matelot.
Et l'on mit la chaloupe à l'eau
Sur les flots de la mer indienne
Pour vite le tirer des flots
Oh, oh, petit matelot
Mais on ne sauva que son chapeau
Sur les flots de la mer indienne
Sa vieille pipe et ses sabots,
Oh, oh, petit matelot.
Peut-être bien que le p'tit matelot
Sur les flots de la mer indienne
Est dans le ventre d'un cachalot
Oh, oh, petit matelot.
There was a little sailor
On the waves of the Indian Sea,
There was a little sailor,
Oh, oh, little sailor.
He sailed from Brest to Frisco*
On the waves of the Indian Sea,
One day the weather turned rough
Oh, oh, little sailor.
Furl the sails, everybody high up
On the waves of the Indian Sea,
He falls from more than 20 meters** high
Oh, oh, little sailor.
And they launched the lifeboat
On the waves of the Indian sea,
To quickly pull him from the waves
Oh, oh, little sailor.
But they only rescued his hat
On the waves of the Indian Sea,
His old pipe and his clogs,
Oh, oh, little sailor.
Maybe the little sailor
On the waves of the Indian Sea,
Is inside the belly of a sperm whale
Oh, oh, little sailor.
Notes
*Frisco: San Francisco, California
**20 meters = approximately 65.5ft
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Thanks to Monique Palomares for sharing this song with us and for the score and midi. Translation by Monique and Lisa.
