Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Vocals & arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is a traditional song found here in Québec, of Acadian origins, typically found in two forms, a major scale version, and this minor version I decided to arrange. The arrangement uses the typical instrumental inventory of French Canadian music: accordion, acoustic guitar, and the practice of "podorythmie," using the feet to create this constant rythmic pattern.
Lyrics in French:
Ah! Qui me passera le bois,
Moi qui suis si petite
Ce sera mon-sieur que voilà,
Na-t-il pas bon-ne mi-ne, là !
Somm's nous au mi-lieu du bois ?
Somm's nous à la ri-i-ve ?
Ce sera Monsieur que voilà
Na-t-il pas bonne mine
Quand nous fûm's au milieu du bois
Il se mit à courire là
Quand nous fûm's au milieu du bois Il se mit à courire
Ah, qu'avez-vous mon beau monsieur
Qu'avez vous à tant courire là,
Ah, qu'avez-vous mon beau monsieur
Qu'avez vous à courire
J'entends venir des loups là-bas,
Qui nous suiv'nt à la rive, là,
J'entends venir des loups là-bas
Qui nous suivent à la rive
Quand ils eur'nt traversé le bois
La belle se mit à rire,
Quand ils eur'nt traversé le bois
La belle se mit à rire,
Bell' qu'avez-vous, bell' qu'avez vous ?
Qu'avez vous à tant rire,
Bell' qu'avez-vous, bell' qu'avez vous ?
Qu'avez vous à tant rire,
Je ris de toi, je ris de moi
De la poltronnerie là
Je ris de toi, je ris de moi
De la poltronnerie,
D'avoir pris les oiseaux du bois
Pour des loups en furie, là...
English translations:
Ah! Who will pass me the wood,
I who am so small?
It will be the gentleman over there:
Doesn't he look well? There!
Are we in the middle of the wood?
Are we on the bank?
That will be the gentleman there;
Doesn't he look well?
When we were in the middle of the woods,
He started to run.
I hear wolves coming, over there,
Following us to the shore.
When they had crossed the woods,
The beauty began to laugh,
Beauty, what's the matter with you, beauty, what's the matter with you,
Why are you laughing so much?
I laugh at you, I laugh at myself,
At your cowardice;
For having taken the partridges in the woods
For furious wolves.
Vocals & arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is a traditional song found here in Québec, of Acadian origins, typically found in two forms, a major scale version, and this minor version I decided to arrange. The arrangement uses the typical instrumental inventory of French Canadian music: accordion, acoustic guitar, and the practice of "podorythmie," using the feet to create this constant rythmic pattern.
Lyrics in French:
Ah! Qui me passera le bois,
Moi qui suis si petite
Ce sera mon-sieur que voilà,
Na-t-il pas bon-ne mi-ne, là !
Somm's nous au mi-lieu du bois ?
Somm's nous à la ri-i-ve ?
Ce sera Monsieur que voilà
Na-t-il pas bonne mine
Quand nous fûm's au milieu du bois
Il se mit à courire là
Quand nous fûm's au milieu du bois Il se mit à courire
Ah, qu'avez-vous mon beau monsieur
Qu'avez vous à tant courire là,
Ah, qu'avez-vous mon beau monsieur
Qu'avez vous à courire
J'entends venir des loups là-bas,
Qui nous suiv'nt à la rive, là,
J'entends venir des loups là-bas
Qui nous suivent à la rive
Quand ils eur'nt traversé le bois
La belle se mit à rire,
Quand ils eur'nt traversé le bois
La belle se mit à rire,
Bell' qu'avez-vous, bell' qu'avez vous ?
Qu'avez vous à tant rire,
Bell' qu'avez-vous, bell' qu'avez vous ?
Qu'avez vous à tant rire,
Je ris de toi, je ris de moi
De la poltronnerie là
Je ris de toi, je ris de moi
De la poltronnerie,
D'avoir pris les oiseaux du bois
Pour des loups en furie, là...
English translations:
Ah! Who will pass me the wood,
I who am so small?
It will be the gentleman over there:
Doesn't he look well? There!
Are we in the middle of the wood?
Are we on the bank?
That will be the gentleman there;
Doesn't he look well?
When we were in the middle of the woods,
He started to run.
I hear wolves coming, over there,
Following us to the shore.
When they had crossed the woods,
The beauty began to laugh,
Beauty, what's the matter with you, beauty, what's the matter with you,
Why are you laughing so much?
I laugh at you, I laugh at myself,
At your cowardice;
For having taken the partridges in the woods
For furious wolves.



![Seigneurs Sachiez - Medieval French Crusader Song feat. Anna Vasylchenko
Reupload of an earlier version made in 2023 that can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/c07tEwg4j3I This reupload fixes the unfortunately common mistake in many historically informed renditions of using the chien of the hurdy-gurdy, a buzzing rhythmical sound not attested until the very late Middle-Ages, and also adds the sound of the vielle. This is a historically informed approximation of Medieval music based on research and our current available data.
Arrangement & vocals by Farya Faraji, vielle by Anna Vasylchenko, bagpipe by Antonio Bustabad, lyrics and music by Thibault de Champagne (also called Theobald of Navarre in English). Thibault de Champagne was a 13th century count, later king, and also trouvère. He initiated the Baron’s crusade of 1239-1241, for which this was composed.
The arrangement is in accordance with historical principles of Medieval European music. The arrangement is heterophonic, where all the musical lines play the same melody with various degrees of individual ornamentation, all of them improvised spontaneously as per medieval practice. The vocals are highly melismatic and ornamented, as per medieval vocal practice, a subject I analyse more deeply in this video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hxcH7S2BaiQ
The instruments used are the bagpipe, played by Spanish musician Antonio Bustabad, the hurdy-gurdy, gittern, lute and a bowed lyra.
The pronunciation uses Old French pronunciation which differed significantly from Modern French.
Lyrics in Old French:
Seignor, sachiés : qui or ne s’en ira,
En cele terre ou Dex fu mors et vis,
Et qui la crois d’Outremer ne penra,
A paines mais ira en Paradis.
Qui a en soi pitié ne ramembrance,
Au haut Seignor doit querre sa venjance,
Et delivrer sa terre et son païs.
Tuit li mauvés demorront par deça,
Qui n’aiment Dieu, bien, ne honor, ne pris.
Et chascuns dit ” Ma feme, que fera ?
Je ne lairoie a nul fuer mes amis”.
Cil sont cheoit en trop fole atendance,
Qu’il n’est amis fors de cil, sans doutance,
Qui por nos fu en la vraie crois mis.
Or s’en iront cil vaillant bacheler,
Qui aiment Dieu et l’ennor de cest mont,
Qui sagement vuelent a Dieu aler,
Et li morveux, li cendreux, demorront;
Avugle sont, de ce ne dout je mie,
Qui j secors ne fait Dieu en sa vie,
Et por si pou pert la gloire dou mont.
Diex se lessa en crois por nos pener,
Et nos dira au jor que tuit vendront :
“Vos qui ma crois m’aidastes a porter,
Vos en irez la ou mi angles sont;
La me verrez et ma mere Marie.
Et vos, par cui je n’oi onques aie,
Descendrés tuit en Enfer le parfont.”
Chacuns cuide demorer toz haitiez,
Et que ja mes ne doie mal avoir;
Ainsi les tient anemis et pechiez
Que il n’ont sen, hardement ne pooir.
Biax sire Diex, ostés leur tel pensee,
Et nos metez en la vostre contree,
Si saintement que vos puissons veoir.
Douce dame, roïne coronee,
Proiez por nos, Virge bien aüree,
Et puis aprés ne nos puet meschoir.
English translation:
Lords, be aware that those who will not travel,
To the land where God died and lived,
And will not take the Holy Cross abroad,
Will not likely get to Heaven.
He who pities himself and forgets
That the Lord on High must seek His vengeance,
To free His land and country.
All the shameless will remain behind,
They do not love God, good, honor or have pride.
Each one says: “What will happen to my wife?
I cant leave her with any of my friends,
For they joined [the Crusade] in hasty folly.
So that there is no friend, without a doubt,
For us, except for those who crusaded themselves.
Instead, the courageous bachelors will go,
They who love God are proud of His Mount,
And wisely want to go to God.
But the coward and lazy will remain behind;
They are blind, of this I have no doubt,
Those who refuse to assist God during their life,
And, for so little, lose the glory of the Mount,
God let himself be crucified for us,
And will tell us on Judgement day, we all will see:
“You who helped Me to carry My Cross,
You will go there where my Angels are;
There you will see Me and My Mother Mary.
But you, to whom I owe nothing,
You will go down to the depths of Hell.”
So, each one must take care to be vigilant,
To not fail to accomplish his mission,
Even if he is tempted to by enemies and sins.
This should not happen, absolutely not.
Good Lord God, prevent us from having this thought,
But bring us into Your Land,
Make us saints so that we can see You.
Sweet Lady, crowned Queen,
Pray for us, Majestic Virgin,
So that nothing can stop us. Seigneurs Sachiez - Medieval French Crusader Song feat. Anna Vasylchenko](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Q0wZP9oAOKc/mqdefault.jpg)






