Digital Tradition Mirror

Sept Ans Sur Mer

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Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Sept Ans Sur Mer

On a reste/ six ans sur mer
Sans pouvoir border la terre.
On a reste/ six ans sur mer
Sans pouvoir border la terre.


Au bout de la septieme annee
On a manque/ de provlslons?
(2x)

On a mange/ souris et rats
Jusque le touvre du navire.
(2x)

On a tire/ la courte paille
Pour voir lequel qui s'rait mange/
(2x)

"En voila, p'tit Jean, s'il tombait-z-au cas,
Ca serait p'tit Jean qui serait mange/.
O voila, p'tit Jean, qu'il tombe sur toi,
Ca serait p'tit Jean qui serait mange/.

"O p'tit Jean, ca fait du mal."
Il crie, "Courage, mes camarades."
(2x)

"Je vois la terre sur toutes cotes,
Trois pigeons blancs qui s'a votltige/.
(2x)

"Je vois aussi trois filles du pere
Que se promenaient au bord du rivage.
(2x)

"O si jamais je mets pieds sur terre
La plus jolie je l'e/spouserai.
(2x)



On stormy seas we six years sailed,
And never once green land we hailed.*
(2x)

The bitter seventh year came on,
We found our stores at last were gone.
(2x)

We ate the mice, we ate the rats,
And through the hold we ran like cats.
(2x)

And then at lots we took a try
To see which one of us would die.
(2x)

"Look, little John, if chance does will,
It's you we'll take, it's you we'll kill.
(2x)

"Too bad, Little John," they cried
"Oh, courage, comerades, "he replied.

"For I see land on every side
And three white pigeons towards us fly."

"And I see lovely sisters three
Come walking down all by the sea

"And if I set my foot on land
I'll ask the fairest for her hand."

"Perhaps no other sailor's chantey can compare with 'Seven Years at Sea'
for fame and historical interest. It is one of the most extensively traveled
songs of European folk repertoires. Best known on the shores of Brittany
and Poitou where it seems to have originated, It has spread across France
and followed thwe seacoast into neighboring countries, north and south.
It occurs in Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, Catalan, Porugese, Spanish
and Swiss (sic) versions. Thackarey adapted it for a humorous rhyme called
'Little Billee'"  Marius Barbeau, Folk-Songs of French Canada
note: see also Ship in Distress RG
note2: the slashes are an attempt to produce an accent acute in ASCII. Any
 comments? suggestions? RG

From Our Singing Country, Lomax
RG


C 1801
apr97

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!