Farya Faraji | Belle Nanon - French Song @faryafaraji | Uploaded February 2024 | Updated October 2024, 3 days ago.
Vocals & arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is a less well known song from France, said by some to be from Brittany, although information on it is hard to find. Different versions containing similar lyrical content can be found across France, although this specific version is unique and was collected by Évelyne Girardon in a 1984 album of folk songs.
The instrumentation uses a fiddle, an accordion and a piano, the latter provides a chord progression underlying the rest of the music as is typical of modern Western music.
Lyrics in French:
Ce matin je m'en fus à sa porte,
Trois petits coups frapper.
Ce matin je m'en fus à sa porte,
Trois petits coups frapper.
«Ah, dormez-vous, sommeillez-vous,
Belle Nanon?
Si vous dormez, réveillez-vous;
C'est votre amant qui parle à vous.»
La belle prend sa chandelle,
Elle prend son jupon blanc,
Elle va ouvrir la porte
À son fidèle amant.
Elle prit le tas entre ses bras,
En lui disant:
«Elle pris le tas entre ses bras
En lui disant mon cher amant.»
Cessez, cessez, la belle;
Vous me faites me mourir.
Le régiment m'appelle;
Il faut lui obéir.
Je suis engagé pour six ans
Au régiment.
Je suis engagé pour six ans,
O adieu donc belle Nanon,
Elle lui répond, la belle:
«Six ans - c'est bien longtemps.
A qui contrai - j'mes peines,
Mes chagrins, mes tourments?
Je m'en irai là-bas, bien loin
Dedans les bois.
Je m'en irai là-bas, bien loin,
En regrettant mon cher amant.
Les garçons du village ne savent pas faire l'amour;
Toujours les mêmes paroles,
Toujours les mêmes discours.
Ils vous diront de temps en temps:
«Belle Nanon,
Ne pleurez pas sur votre amant
Car il est mort au régiment.»
Les garçons d'alentour,
Sont de forts beaux garçons;
Ils vous feront l'amour,
Le soir, en attendant.
N'sont pas comme toi, mon cher amant,
Quand tu reviens;
N'sont pas comme toi, mon cher amant,
Car il y a toujours du changement.»
English translation:
This morning I went to her door,
Three little knocks I gave,
Oh do you sleep, beautiful Nanon?
If you sleep, wake up, it's your lover who is here
The beauty took her candle,
And her white petticoat,
She opened the door to her dear lover,
She held her petticoat and said,
"Oh my dear lover,"
"Cease, cease, you beauty,
You are making me die.
The regiment has summoned me
And I must obey it.
I'm enrolled for six years in the regiment,
Farewell then, beautiful Nanon,"
The beauty answered:
"six years is far too much.
To whom shall I speak my torments and ills?
I'll go to the wood over there, far away,
And lament my lover there."
"The village boys know not how to make love.
Always the same words, always the same speeches.
They'll tell you from time to time, beautiful Nanon,
weep not for your lover, for he died in the regiment.
The boys of the region are beautiful boys,
They will make love to you at night, while you wait."
"But they're not like you my dear lover.
They're not like you for there will always be change."
Vocals & arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is a less well known song from France, said by some to be from Brittany, although information on it is hard to find. Different versions containing similar lyrical content can be found across France, although this specific version is unique and was collected by Évelyne Girardon in a 1984 album of folk songs.
The instrumentation uses a fiddle, an accordion and a piano, the latter provides a chord progression underlying the rest of the music as is typical of modern Western music.
Lyrics in French:
Ce matin je m'en fus à sa porte,
Trois petits coups frapper.
Ce matin je m'en fus à sa porte,
Trois petits coups frapper.
«Ah, dormez-vous, sommeillez-vous,
Belle Nanon?
Si vous dormez, réveillez-vous;
C'est votre amant qui parle à vous.»
La belle prend sa chandelle,
Elle prend son jupon blanc,
Elle va ouvrir la porte
À son fidèle amant.
Elle prit le tas entre ses bras,
En lui disant:
«Elle pris le tas entre ses bras
En lui disant mon cher amant.»
Cessez, cessez, la belle;
Vous me faites me mourir.
Le régiment m'appelle;
Il faut lui obéir.
Je suis engagé pour six ans
Au régiment.
Je suis engagé pour six ans,
O adieu donc belle Nanon,
Elle lui répond, la belle:
«Six ans - c'est bien longtemps.
A qui contrai - j'mes peines,
Mes chagrins, mes tourments?
Je m'en irai là-bas, bien loin
Dedans les bois.
Je m'en irai là-bas, bien loin,
En regrettant mon cher amant.
Les garçons du village ne savent pas faire l'amour;
Toujours les mêmes paroles,
Toujours les mêmes discours.
Ils vous diront de temps en temps:
«Belle Nanon,
Ne pleurez pas sur votre amant
Car il est mort au régiment.»
Les garçons d'alentour,
Sont de forts beaux garçons;
Ils vous feront l'amour,
Le soir, en attendant.
N'sont pas comme toi, mon cher amant,
Quand tu reviens;
N'sont pas comme toi, mon cher amant,
Car il y a toujours du changement.»
English translation:
This morning I went to her door,
Three little knocks I gave,
Oh do you sleep, beautiful Nanon?
If you sleep, wake up, it's your lover who is here
The beauty took her candle,
And her white petticoat,
She opened the door to her dear lover,
She held her petticoat and said,
"Oh my dear lover,"
"Cease, cease, you beauty,
You are making me die.
The regiment has summoned me
And I must obey it.
I'm enrolled for six years in the regiment,
Farewell then, beautiful Nanon,"
The beauty answered:
"six years is far too much.
To whom shall I speak my torments and ills?
I'll go to the wood over there, far away,
And lament my lover there."
"The village boys know not how to make love.
Always the same words, always the same speeches.
They'll tell you from time to time, beautiful Nanon,
weep not for your lover, for he died in the regiment.
The boys of the region are beautiful boys,
They will make love to you at night, while you wait."
"But they're not like you my dear lover.
They're not like you for there will always be change."
