The Second GALPSGC: Alouette, Gentille Alouette..

Published for The Second Great American Local Poem And Song Genealogy Challenge hosted by Bill West at West In New England.

I present to you something very near and dear to my heart.

According to Wikipedia, the song Alouette was first published in A Pocket Song Book for the Use of Students and Graduates of McGill College in 1879 and is said to be a song that was sung by the French fur traders. Also, published in a Canadian Folk-life and Folk-lore, by William Parker Greenough in 1897, it is a song about plucking the different body parts of a lark and just thinking about the lyrics makes me laugh.

Remembering the song with great fondness, every time I sing it, and I do, I am reminded of my maternal grandfather, Pepere Maille. Although he was born and raised here in Massachusetts, he spoke with a slight French accent, with some words being more pronounced then others. Remembering when he used to place me on his knee in my Memere's kitchen and bounce me on his knee while he would sing, is something I will never forget. I have shared this song with my youngest daughter Sabrina. When she was smaller, and had an interest in such things, we used to listen to, and sing, it together and have some great laughs at the cost of that poor bird!!



[Grennough, William Parker. Canadian Folk-life and Folk-lore. New York: George H. Richmond, 1897. 141. Google Books]

I don't think my translation is spot on, aren't a bird's beak and nose one in the same?

Lark

*Lark, nice Lark, Lark I will pluck you,
I will pluck your head, I will pluck your head,
And your head, and your head Ohhhhh,

Lark, nice Lark, Lark I will pluck you
I will pluck your beak, I will pluck your beak
And your beak, and your beak,
And your head, and your head, Ohhhhh,

Lark, nice Lark, Lark I will pluck you,
I'll pluck your nose, I will pluck your nose,
And your nose and your nose, and your beak and your beak,
And the head, and the head, Ohhhhh,

Lark, nice Lark, Lark I willl pluck you,
I will pluck your back, I'll will your back,
And your back, and your back, and your nose, and your nose,
And your beak, and your beak, and your head, and your head, Ohhhhh,

I will pluck your legs, I will pluck your legs
>And your legs, and your legs, and your back, and your back,
And your nose, and your nose, and your beak, and your beak< And your head, and your head, Ohhhhh,

Lark, nice Lark, Lark I willl pluck you,
I'll pluck your neck, I will pluck your neck
And your neck, and your neck, and your legs, and your legs,
And your back, and your back, and your nose, and your nose
And your beak, and your beak and your head, and your head Ohhhhh

*Repeat this bar once for 2d verse twice for 3d verse etc.

Enjoy!