La blanche biche [English translation]

These who go through the woods

are the mother and the daughter.

These who go through the woods

are the mother and the daughter.

The mother goes singing

and the daughter's sighing.

The mother goes singing

and the daughter's sighing.

" What makes you sigh so,

Marguerite, my daughter?"

" So much wrath inside me,

yet I hardly dare to tell :

a girl during the day,

I'm a white doe at night.

A girl during the day,

I'm a white doe at night.

The hunt is on my trail,

the barons and the princes,

and Renaud, my brother,

he's the worst of them all.

Let him halt his dogs

until tomorrow's dinner1

" Where are your dogs, Renaud,

and the gentlemen of your hunt? "

" They are inside the woods,

hunting the white doe "

" Stop them, Renaud.

Stop them, I'm begging you! "

He called them three times

blowing his copper horn.

The third time the horn rang,

the doe was taken.

The one who skinned her

said " I'm at a loss for words.

She has blond hair

and the breast of a girl "

He drew his knife

and cut her to pieces.

They made a dinner

for the barons and the princes.

They made a dinner

for the barons and the princes:

" we are all gathered here

except for my sister Marguerite "

" You can start eating,

I was the first to be seated.

My head is in the dish,

and my heart hangs from a hook "

" My blood is splattered

all across the kitchen,

and my poor bones are sizzling

on your dark charcoal "

These who go through the woods

are the mother and the daughter.

These who go through the woods

are the mother and the daughter.

1. she sings "jusqu'à demain ressie", "ressie" being an ancient word for "dinner"