To balance out yesterday’s, oh, slightly intense Song of the Day, let’s throw on an old dance track from France. And when I say “old dance track,” I mean a dance-like song with its origins in medieval France. I honestly don’t know how old this piece is, or who wrote it, or where, or why, which, as you can imagine, deeply annoys your Yankette. Be that as it may, I do know the lyrics are probably allegorical. The song is a story, told in the first person, of chancing upon a wolf, a fox, and a rabbit (or sometimes a weasel) having a grand time dancing, singing, and drinking. Some sources say that the wolf, fox, and rabbit represent the king, the lord (i.e. the lord whose land you worked on as a serf), and the church. (I hope you know how much it pains me, as an analyst, to write the essentially meaningless phrase “some sources say,” but it’s the best I got. If you, gentle reader, have any further information, I would be incredibly grateful.)
English words below!
—
J’ai vu le loup, le renard, le lièvre,
J’ai vu le loup, le renard cheuler.
C’est moi-même qui les ai rebeuillés.
J’ai vu le loup, le renard, le lièvre,
C’est moi-même qui les ai rebeuillés.
J’ai vu le loup, le renard cheuler.
J’ai ouï le loup, le renard, le lièvre,
J’ai ouï le loup, le renard chanter.
C’est moi-même qui les ai rechignés,*
J’ai ouï le loup, le renard, le lièvre,
C’est moi-même qui les ai rechignés,
J’ai ouï le loup, le renard chanter.
J’ai vu le loup, le renard, le lièvre,
J’ai vu le loup, le renard danser,
C’est moi-même qui les ai revirés,*
J’ai vu le loup, le renard, le lièvre,
C’est moi-même qui les ai revirés,
J’ai vu le loup, le renard danser.
I saw the wolf, the fox, the hare
I saw the wolf, the fox drinking
I spied on them myself.
I saw the wolf, the fox, the hare,
I spied on them myself,
I saw the wolf, the fox drinking.
I heard the wolf, the fox, the hare,
I heard the wolf, the fox singing
I imitated them myself.
I heard the wolf, the fox, the hare,
I imitated them myself,
I heard the wolf, the fox singing.
I saw the wolf, the fox, the hare,
I saw the wolf, the fox dancing
I made them dance myself.
I saw the wolf, the fox, the hare,
I made them dance myself,
I saw the wolf, the fox dancing.
Who are the performers? Great sound, precise.
Isn’t is great? I believe it’s Poème Harmonique. Unfortunately it seems you can’t find them on iTunes in the U.S. Drat.