Alouette (folk song)

Alouette ( French for lark ) is a French-language folk song . The text is a typical counting rhyme and describes the process of plucking a lark in order to prepare it for human consumption . The exact origin of the work is not known; Canada is often mentioned as the country of origin. The song is also known outside of French-speaking cultures; singable translations have been written for many languages.

The melody of Alouette

history

The exact genesis of the song is not known. It is believed that the origin is in the French-speaking part of Canada. The oldest known publication of the song is that in the hymn book A Pocket Song Book for the Use of Students and Graduates of McGill College from 1879.

text

The song consists of a constant refrain and a variable part of the verse that is extended with each repetition by one line. Each line of verse refers to a part of the lark's body that is plucked by the lyric self . The song is repeated until each part of the body has its turn and “the lark is completely plucked”.

French text:

Alouette, gentille alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai

Je te plumerai la tête ^{× 2}
Et la tête ^{× 2}
Alouette ^{× 2}
Aaa-ah

Alouette, gentille alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai

Je te plumerai le bec ^{× 2}
Et le bec ^{× 2}
Et la tête ^{× 2}
Alouette ^{× 2}
Aaa-ah

Alouette, gentille alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai

Je te plumerai les yeux ^{× 2}
Et les yeux ^{× 2}
Et le bec ^{× 2}
Et la tête ^{× 2}
Alouette ^{× 2}
Aaa-ah

Alouette , gentille alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai

Je te plumerai le cou ^{× 2}
Et le cou ^{× 2}
Et les yeux ^{× 2}
Et le bec ^{× 2}
Et la tête ^{× 2}
Alouette ^{× 2}
Aaa-ah

Alouette, gentille alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai

Je te plumerai les ailes ^{× 2}
Et les ailes ^{× 2}
Et le cou ^{× 2}
Et les yeux ^{× 2}
Et le bec ^{× 2}
Et la tête ^{× 2}
Alouette ^{× 2}
Aaa-ah

Alouette, gentille alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai

Je te plumerai les pattes ^{× 2}
Et les pattes ^{× 2}
Et les ailes ^{× 2}
Et le cou ^{× 2}
Et les yeux ^{× 2}
Et le bec ^{× 2}
Et la tête ^{× 2}
Alouette ^{× 2}
Aaa-ah

Alouette, gentille alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai

Je te plumerai la queue ^{× 2}
Et la queue ^{× 2}
Et les pattes ^{× 2}
Et les ailes ^{× 2}
Et le cou ^{× 2}
Et les yeux ^{× 2}
Et le bec ^{× 2}
Et la tête ^{× 2}
Alouette ^{× 2}
Aaa-ah

Alouette, gentille alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai

Je te plumerai le dos ^{× 2}
Et le dos ^{× 2}
Et la queue ^{× 2}
Et les pattes ^{× 2}
Et les ailes ^{× 2}
Et le cou ^{× 2}
Et les yeux ^{× 2}
Et le bec ^{× 2}
Et la tête ^{× 2}
Alouette ^{× 2}
Aaa-ah

Alouette, gentille alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai

German translation:

Lark, dear lark
Lark, I'll pluck you

I'll pluck your head ^{× 2}
And your head ^{× 2}
Lark ^{× 2}
Aaa-ah

Lark, dear lark
Lark, I'll pluck you

I'll pluck your beak ^{× 2}
And the beak ^{× 2}
And the head ^{× 2}
lark ^{× 2}
Aaa-ah

Lark, dear lark
Lark, I'll pluck you

I'll pluck your eyes ^{× 2}
And your eyes ^{× 2}
And the beak ^{× 2}
And the head ^{× 2}
Lark ^{× 2}
AAA ah

lark, love lark
lark, I will pluck you

I will pluck your neck ^{x 2}
and the neck ^{x 2}
And the eyes ^{x 2}
And the beak ^{× 2}
And the head ^{× 2}
lark ^{× 2}
AAA ah

lark Dear Lark
Lark, I'll pluck you

I'll pluck your wings ^{× 2}
And the wings ^{× 2}
And the neck ^{× 2}
And the eyes ^{× 2}
And the beak ^{× 2}
And the head ^{× 2}
Lark ^{× 2}
Aaa-ah

lark, Dear Lark
Lark, I'll pluck you

I'll pluck your legs ^{× 2}
And the legs ^{× 2}
And the wings ^{× 2}
And the neck ^{× 2}
And the eyes ^{× 2}
And the beak ^{× 2}
And the head ^{× 2}
Lark ^{× 2}
Aaa -Ah

Lark, dear Lark
Lark, I'll pluck you

I'll pluck your tail ^{× 2}
And the tail ^{× 2}
And the legs ^{× 2}
And the wings ^{× 2}
And the neck ^{× 2}
And the eyes ^{× 2}
And the beak ^{× 2}
And the Head ^{× 2}
Lark ^{× 2}
Aaa-ah

Lark, dear Lark
Lark, I'll pluck you

I'll pluck your back ^{× 2}
And your back ^{× 2}
And the tail ^{× 2}
And the legs ^{× 2}
And the wings ^{× 2}
And the neck ^{× 2}
And the eyes ^{× 2}
And the beak ^{× 2}
And the head ^{× 2}
Lark ^{× 2}
Aaa-ah

Lark, dear Lark
Lark, I'll pluck you

A singing skylark
( Alauda arvensis )

Web links

Score from "Alouette"

swell

↑ ^a ^b Hélène Plouffe: "Alouette!" . In: The Canadian Encyclopedia . Retrieved June 22, 2019.

[ca_encyc-1] Hélène Plouffe: "Alouette!" . In: The Canadian Encyclopedia . Retrieved June 22, 2019.