Le Testament du Garqon Empoisonne'- Brideau (NB) 1976 Paquin
[From 'Le Testament du Garçon Empoisonné ': A French 'Lord Randal' in Acadie by Robert Paquin; Folklore, Vol. 91, No. 2 (1980), pp. 157-172.
Taken from the c ollection Bouthillier-Labrie No. 1460. Sung by M. Onsime Brideau and his wife Alvina (nee Saint-Pierre), respectively 63 and 53 years old; Saint-Ime, county Gloucester, N.B., summer 1976. I've translated the first verse:
Where did you go last night Honoré my child
Where did you go last night, my dear child?
I went to see maidens, Mother please make my bed
Cause I feel sick and I want to lie down.
There a similar but different version in 1978 by Gabriel Yacoub, the leader of Malicorne, titled Honoré mon Enfant." Another version apparently translating Yacoub's text is done by Stone Circle on the CD Alchemy.
Paquin's notes follow.
R. Matteson 2014]
French versions of 'Lord Randal' were collected on the Atlantic coast of Canada, despite the fact that this song is unknown in France. In French, the song is called 'Le Testament du gargon empoisonné.' Marius Barbeau collected three versions in 1923, Dominique Gauthier, one in 1953, and another was collected by the periodical La Voix d'Evangiline and is part of the J. T. LeBlanc collection.[9] Quite recently, Robert Bouthillier and Vivian Labrie have obtained thirteen more versions.[10] Versions of the Barbeau collection proceed from Port Daniel, county Bonaventure in Quebec, while the Gauthier and Leblanc texts proceed from New Brunswick, the former from Evangeline county Gloucester, and the latter from Saint-Antoine county Kent. The Bouthillier-Labrie collection, on the other hand, proceeds entirely from either county Gloucester or Northumberland, in New Brunswick. In short, all versions of 'Le testament du garqon empoisonné' come from that region which, under the French regime, constituted 'Acadie' and is still known under that name by French speakers. In order to assist the reader in following the argument in this comparative study, we will quote one version of 'Le Testament' and one version of 'Lord Randal' in extenso.
LE TESTAMENT DU GARCON EMPOISONNE - Sung by M. Onsime Brideau and his wife Alvina (nee Saint-Pierre), respectively 63 and 53 years old; Saint-Ime, county Gloucester, N.B., summer 1976.
1. Oiiss' t'as 'te hier au soir, Honoré mon enfant?
Oiiss' t'as 'te hier au soir, dit'-moi mon cher enfant?
J'ai 'te courter les fill', maman rangez mon lit
Car j'ai grand mal au coeur, je veux aller me coucher
2 Quoiss' t'as mangé hier au soir, Honore mon enfant?
Quoiss' t'as mangé hier au soir, dit'-moi mon cher enfant?
Un p'tit poisson saumure, que ma blond' m'a donne
Car j'ai grand mal au coeur, je crois je m'en vas mourir
3 Quoiss' tu donn'ras ? ta mer', Honoré mon enfant?
Quoiss' tu donn'ras A ta mere', dit'-moi mon cher enfant?
Ma petit' vache a lait, maman rangez mon lit
Car j'ai grand mal au coeur, je veux aller me coucher
4 Quoiss' tu donn'ras? ton per', Honoré mon enfant?
Quoiss' tu donn'ras? ton per', dit'-moi mon cher enfant?
Ma grange et ma maison, maman rangez mon lit
Car j'ai grand mal au coeur, je crois je m'en vas mourir
5 Quoiss' tu donn'ras? ton frer', Honoré mon enfant?
Quoiss' tu donn'ras a ton frer', dit'-moi mon cher enfant?
Mon ch'val et ma charrett', maman rangez mon lit
Car j'ai grand mal au coeur, je veux aller me coucher
6 Quoiss' tu donn'ras? ta soeur, Honoré mon enfant?
Quoiss' tu donn'ras? ta soeur, dit'-moi mon cher enfant?
Ma petit' mont' en or, maman, rangez mon lit
Car j'ai grand mal au coeur, je veux aller me coucher
7 Quoiss' tu donn'ras a ta blond', Honoré mon enfant?
Quoiss' tu donn'ras Ata blond', dit'-moi mon cher enfant?
Un petit bout' de cib', pour la pend' d'un arb' vert
Ell' l'a bien marité, c'est ell' qui m'a empoisonné