Songs of Old Canada/Notes
NOTES.
This charming love story, with its attractive air, rightly heads our Canadian songs. It apparently enjoyed as great a popularity in France as here, for Dr. Larue cites no less than five variations of the words. Its origin is unknown, but it is sung in Normandy, Brittany and Franche-Comté.
"A few years ago," Dr. Larue says, "our Claire Fontaine, with its own Canadian air, was rendered in one of the principal theatres of Paris and obtained an immense success."
In "Malbrouck" we have the song as it was sung in the time of Le Grand Monarque, with the English general and his army fighting brilliantly and swearing terribly in Flanders, while the people in Paris lilted his funeral elegy to the gay refrain of Mironton, mirontaine.
Dr. Larue traces it back to a similar burlesque elegy on the Duke of Guise, while Father Prout, in his Reliques, gives the popular tradition that it was composed by Mme. de Sévigné as a cradle song for the Dauphin. Dumersan and Ségur, in a note quoted in John Oxenford's "French Songs," think that the words were probably brought back by the soldiers of Villars and Boufflers after Malplaquet. At all events verses against Marlborough were in existence in France in 1706.
The popularity of the old air, with the refrain of Mironton, mirontaine, is evinced by its survival among all English-speaking people wedded to the after-dinner sentiment of "He's a jolly good fellow."
It was a great favourite with Napoleon, and many a time it was hummed by him when mounting for battle. The Count de Las Cases, in the Mémorial de Sainte Hélène p. 821, tells the following:—The Emperor, a few weeks before his death, in speaking of this song to the Count, remarked, "'What a thing ridicule is: it bedims everything, even victory.' And he laughed himself as he hummed over the first couplet." Of its popularity with military men, we Canadians have a later example in General Strange's reply to the 65th, a French-Canadian regiment, during the recent North-West rebellion. One morning, after weeks of tedious and toilsome marching, just as the men were about to fall in, the General overheard the remark—"Ah! when will we go home," "Ah, mes garçons," laughed the General,
Mais quand reviendra-t-il?"
and with their characteristic light-heartedness the men caught up the famous old air and the march was resumed without a murmur.
At least five different airs are sung in Canada, and in one the curious refrain "Spiritum sanctum tuum" is substituted for Mironton, mirontaine; while the most popular version has the chorus,
Mes petit's filles, jeun's et gentilles,
Courez, courez, courez,
Venez ce soir vous amuser.
The air of Le pommier doux is familiar to French and English alike, and with its modern words and title of Vive la Canadienne has been very generally accepted as our national air. It is sung in Franche-Comté, but to an air different from ours, and lacking the verse Les feuilles en sont vertes, which is so decided an addition to our Canadian song.
This is sung in the Departments of the West with a number of different refrains, some of which are quoted in Gagnon. As a popular song in Canada it ranks next to La claire fontaine.
Is sung in Saintonge and Bas-Pitou.
This, of course, is not a Canadian song at all, and has no claims to antiquity, but any collection would be sadly imperfect if our friend Pandore with his reassuring response were omitted.
It is extremely difficult to render the current of burlesque sentiment which runs through the original, so fine indeed, that it is almost invariably overlooked by those who know the song familiarly; the magnificent swing of the music is probably the cause of its being so frequently rendered au serieux.
M. Gagnon says that this charming ballad has disappeared entirely in France.
Is sung in Champagne, and Dr. Larue states that the air, as given in Champfleury, is exactly the same as that sung in Canada.
This is a variation of Isabeau s'y promène, and was discovered by M. Gagnon: Isabeau is sung in Champagne.
The story in this song is the best evidence of its age. In the translation the word Nantes has been accented (Nan-tés) to give it an equivalent value in English.
Here we have the middle ages, with all their brutality and crime, unrelieved by any glamour of chivalry or romance. The ballad seems to have been preserved in its original entirety; at least the dreadful tale of treason and murder is told with dramatic completeness in the rude and irregular couplets, which are in themselves a proof of its age.
It will be noticed that there is no burden or refrain.
The origin of this song was apparently unknown to M. Gagnon, and perhaps, as Dr. Larue suggests in the case of La claire fontaine, it was not made at all,—it simply grew.
Among the popular songs preserved here it is a surprise to come across so great a contrast to their general tone and feeling as this familiar lover's quarrel, which has come down to us as bright as the summer's day on which it happened so long ago. And yet a popular song it undoubtedly is and may be found in all collections with slight variations of the words, the best evidence, however, being that M. Gagnon discovered it in the County of Maskinongé.
A more simple and perfect example of the old noël than this, would be difficult to find. The melody has the same simplicty as the words and is well worth preservation as a Christmas hymn.
Michelet's remark, quoted by M. Gagnon, well illustrates the origin of the noël:—
"In those days, a marvellous dramatic talent, frequently stamped with a childish simplicity but full of boldness and kindliness, existed in the Church… At times she made herself little; she, the great, the learned, the eternal, babbled with her children and translated the ineffable for them into a language they could understand."