“Auprès de ma blonde“ - Napoleonic Soldiers Chant

“Auprès de ma blonde“ or “Le Prisonnier de Hollande“ is a popular chanson dating to the 17th century. The song tells the story of a woman who laments to the birds in her father’s garden that her husband is a prisoner in Holland. It appeared during or soon after the Franco-Dutch War (1672–78), during the reign of Louis XIV, when French sailors and soldiers were commonly imprisoned in the Netherlands. The song was composed in 1704 during the reign of Louis XIV. A local tradition attributes the composition to André Joubert du Collet. But it was often used in the Napoleonic Era as a soldier’s song. (therefore I used the Napoleonic Coat of Arms) NOTE: Not all English translations are 100% correct!