Vocals and arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is a song from France’s Bretagne, or Brittany as it’s called in English. The song was first popularised in France by Alan Stivell’s legendary rendition, and later made even popular when the rap song “La Tribu de Dana“ utilised the traditional melody. The song is thought to date to the 1700’s. The subject is about a trio of young sailors who go to Newfoundland, in Canada.
Brittany is the forgotten Celtic nation; when one mentions Celts, most people in the English speaking world will think of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but will often neglect Brittany, which speaks a fascinating language, perhaps the world’s most important refugee language. At the end of Antiquity and the onset of the Medieval era, the once Celtic land of Great Britain was invaded by the Anglo-Saxons. Many of these Breton Celts fled to Armorica, which they named after themselves, hence the name Brittany. However, like most of the regional languages of France, Breton unfortunately seems like it’s on its way out, being classified as “severely endangered,“ by the UNESCO, and fewer and fewer young Bretons are learning the language.
Musically speaking, Brittany is very much evocative of the Celtic sound, with use of the bagpipe, the fiddle, a bagpipe-like sounding instrument called the bombarde, and most importantly, the Celtic harp, which is one of Brittany’s great symbols.
Breton lyrics:
Tri martolod yaouank... la la la...
Tri martolod yaouank i vonet da veajiñ
E vonet da veajiñ, gê!
E vonet da veajiñ
Gant ’n avel bet kaset... la la la...
Gant ’n avel bet kaset beteg an Douar Nevez
Beteg an Douar Nevez, gê!
Beteg an Douar Nevez
E-kichen mein ar veilh... la la la...
E-kichen mein ar veilh o deus mouilhet o eorioù
Hag e-barzh ar veilh-se... la la la...
Hag e-barzh ar veilh-se e oa ur servijourez
Pelec’h on-oa konesañs, gê!
Pelec’h on-oa konesañs
En Naoned er marc’had... la la la...
En Naoned er marc’had on-oa choajet ur walenn
English translations:
Three young sailors... la la la… Three young sailors went traveling
Went traveling! Went traveling
And the wind pushed them… la la la... The wind pushed them to Newfoundland
All the way to Newfoundland! All the way to Newfoundland
Next to the windmill stone… la la la... Next to the windmill stone, they dropped anchor
They dropped anchor! They dropped anchor
And in that windmill… la la la... And in that windmill was a servant girl
There was a servant girl! There was a servant girl
And she asked me… la la la... And she asked me where we met
Where have we met before? Where have we met before
In Nantes at the market… la la la... In Nantes at the market, we chose a ring