Today, the Transparent French Blog features an age-old song called “Trois jeunes tambours” (“Three Young Drummers.”)

Its theme may start like in so many fairy tales, but -you are warned, mes amis– it does not exactly end like one… If anything, it serves as proof that French folks in old times knew fully well how to say “Oh, snap!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT414PJ8Zpo

“Trois jeunes tambours” (“Three Young Drummers”) with Dorothée and a drummer wearing an 18th century British uniform. The song is said to go back to at least the Napoleonic wars. Some insist that it appeared precisely in 1745, on the battle of Fontenoy, during la guerre de Succession d’Autriche (The War of the Austrian Succession), which saw a French victory against a British-led coalition of armies 

 

Trois jeunes tambours s’en revenaient de guerre

Three young drummers were coming back from war

Trois jeunes tambours s’en revenaient de guerre

Three young drummers were coming back from war

Et ri, et ran, ran-pa-ta-plan (*)

And ri, and ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

S’en revenaient de guerre

Were coming back from war

Le plus jeune des trois avait une rose blanche

The youngest of the three had a white rose

Le plus jeune des trois avait une rose blanche

The youngest of the three had a white rose

Et ri, et ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

And ri, and ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

Avait une rose blanche

Had a white rose

La fille du roi était à sa fenêtre

The King’s daughter was by her window

La fille du roi était à sa fenêtre

The King’s daughter was by her window 

Et ri, et ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

And ri, and ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

Était à sa fenêtre

Was by her window

Joli tambour, donnez-moi votre rose

Handsome drummer, hand me your rose

Joli tambour, donnez-moi votre rose

Handsome drummer, hand me your rose

Et ri, et ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

And ri, and ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

Donnez-moi votre rose

Hand me your rose

Fille du roi, donnez-moi votre cœur

Daughter of the King, offer me your heart

Fille du roi, donnez-moi votre cœur

Daughter of the King, offer me your heart

Et ri, et ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

And ri, and ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

Donnez-moi votre cœur 

Offer me your heart

Joli tambour, demandez-le à mon père

Handsome drummer, ask that to my father

Joli tambour, demandez-le à mon père

Handsome drummer, ask that to my father

Et ri, et ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

And ri, and ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

Demandez-le à mon père

Ask that to my father

Sire, le roi, donnez-moi votre fille

Sire, the King, give me your daughter

Sire le roi, donnez-moi votre fille

Sire, the King, give me your daughter

Et ri, et ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

And ri, and ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

Donnez-moi votre fille

Give me your daughter

Joli tambour, tu n’es pas assez riche

Handsome drummer, you are not rich enough

Joli tambour tu n’es pas assez riche

Handsome drummer, you are not rich enough

Et ri, et ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

And ri, and ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

Tu n’est pas assez riche

You are not rich enough

J’ai trois vaisseaux dessus la mer jolie

I have three ships on the beautiful sea

J’ai trois vaisseaux dessus la mer jolie

I have three ships on the beautiful sea

Et ri, et ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

And ri, and ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

Dessus la mer jolie

On the beautiful sea

L’un chargé d’or, l’autre d’argenterie

One loaded with gold, the other with silverware

Et le troisième pour promener ma mie

And the third one to take my sweetheart around

Et ri, et ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

And ri, and ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

Pour promener ma mie

To take my sweetheart around

Joli tambour, tu auras donc ma fille

Handsome drummer, you shall then have my daughter

Joli tambour, tu auras donc ma fille

Handsome drummer, you shall then have my daughter

Et ri, et ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

And ri, and ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

Tu auras donc ma fille

You shall then have my daughter

Sire, le roi, je vous en remercie

Sire, the King, I thank for that

Sire, le roi, je vous en remercie

Sire, the King, I thank for that

Et ri, et ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

And ri, and ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

Je vous en remercie

I thank you for that

Dans mon pays, il y en a de plus jolies

In my country, there are much prettier [girls]

Dans mon pays, il y en a de plus jolies

In my country, there are much prettier [girls]

Et ri, et ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

And ri, and ran, ran-pa-ta-plan

Y en a de plus jolies

There are much prettier

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DYTLCKkmF4

Lucienne vernay et les 4 barbus

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(*) Like is so many French folklore songs, this is only an onomatopoeia