F>E Louisiana Creole Slave Songs Thread poster: BonTemps
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A musicologist friend of mine asked me for help with the French in this book of US slave songs. The transcriptions are not great, but I could figure most of it out just from the way it sounds. A couple of lines totally escape me though. Does anyone have a clue about these?
C’est li mo oulé, c’est li ma pren
Li pas mandé soulier prinelle
For the full tex... See more A musicologist friend of mine asked me for help with the French in this book of US slave songs. The transcriptions are not great, but I could figure most of it out just from the way it sounds. A couple of lines totally escape me though. Does anyone have a clue about these?
C’est li mo oulé, c’est li ma pren
Li pas mandé soulier prinelle
For the full texts, you can go to this web page:
http://reactor-core.org/slave-songs.html
The French songs are near the very end. They're pretty interesting, especially "MUSIEU BAINJO", of which the author writes that the slaves are speaking "evidently a rude corruption of French". Sounds like they speak it better than he does!
In any case, any help with the above will be much appreciated.
Thanks!
Mason ▲ Collapse
| | | | Margreet Logmans (X) 
Netherlands
Local time: 14:03
English to Dutch
+ ...
| What words exactly? | May 31, 2007 |
Nice link, very interesting!
What words exactly do you not understand?
I guess this is the song they come from:
Aurore Bradaire, belle ti fille,
Aurore Bradaire, belle ti fille,
Aurore Bradaire, belle ti fille,
C'est li mo oulé, c'est li ma pren.
Li pas mandé robe mousseline,
Li pas mandé déba brodé,
Li pas mandé soulier prinelle,
C'est li mo oulé, c'est li ma pren.
Now, French is not one ... See more Nice link, very interesting!
What words exactly do you not understand?
I guess this is the song they come from:
Aurore Bradaire, belle ti fille,
Aurore Bradaire, belle ti fille,
Aurore Bradaire, belle ti fille,
C'est li mo oulé, c'est li ma pren.
Li pas mandé robe mousseline,
Li pas mandé déba brodé,
Li pas mandé soulier prinelle,
C'est li mo oulé, c'est li ma pren.
Now, French is not one of my working languages, but I'll give it a try. The way I read it:
It's her I choose(?), it's her I'll have.
She did not demand a mousseline dress,
she did not demand 'déba brodé' (no clue there, but you seem to have found a translation, or you'd ask for one),
she did not demand shoes (for herself?)
It's her I choose, it's her I'll have
But please remember I do not translate French professionally, it's just that I like your link so much, I wanted to give it a try!
I hope someone with better knowledge will help you out completely.
In the meantime, could you post the lines from this song you have already translated? I'm sure that would be helpful.
Good luck! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I love créole! | May 31, 2007 |
I just love the language, even though I do not understand everything!
"C'est li mo oulé, c'est li ma pren" is likely to be "c'est elle que je voulais, c'est elle que je prends" (literally : it's her I wanted, it's her I take).
I'm at loss for "soulier prinelle", though. One of my colleague is from Martinique, but she speaks a different creole, unfortunately...
Margreet, "déba brodé" most likely means "des bas brodés": embroidered stockings. Nice gift, d... See more I just love the language, even though I do not understand everything!
"C'est li mo oulé, c'est li ma pren" is likely to be "c'est elle que je voulais, c'est elle que je prends" (literally : it's her I wanted, it's her I take).
I'm at loss for "soulier prinelle", though. One of my colleague is from Martinique, but she speaks a different creole, unfortunately...
Margreet, "déba brodé" most likely means "des bas brodés": embroidered stockings. Nice gift, don't you think?
Good luck with your texts, Bontemps! ▲ Collapse
| | | | BonTemps
French to English
TOPIC STARTER | déba brodé is really "des bas" | May 31, 2007 |
I understand:
Li pas mandé déba brodé,
to mean:
She doesn't ask for embroidered stockings ('des bas', not 'déba')
I like your idea of 'it's her I'll have', but how are you getting 'choose' from 'oulé' ?
Thanks for taking a stab at it, by the way.
Mason
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Margreet Logmans (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 14:03
English to Dutch
+ ...
| Just a guess | May 31, 2007 |
Hi Bontemps/Mason,
it was a guess, I thought it would have something to do with 'vouloir', and I wasn't sure how to translate that in this context. I was thinking along the lines of 'want her more than someone else' - hence choose.
After reading Virginie's posting, I understand it is alright to simply use the verb 'to want'.
Thank you both for the translation of déba brodé - you are absolutely right, Virginie, they do make a very nice gift.
Thanks... See more Hi Bontemps/Mason,
it was a guess, I thought it would have something to do with 'vouloir', and I wasn't sure how to translate that in this context. I was thinking along the lines of 'want her more than someone else' - hence choose.
After reading Virginie's posting, I understand it is alright to simply use the verb 'to want'.
Thank you both for the translation of déba brodé - you are absolutely right, Virginie, they do make a very nice gift.
Thanks, too, for bringing a beautiful language to my attention once again. I really should read and hear more French. Good luck with it, and enjoy the music!
Best wishes,
Margreet ▲ Collapse
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