Song title: Ma Virginie
Source: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVob2wJtKQs (could not find on Naxos)
| Strophe | Rhyme | Line | Text |
| A | a | 1 | Ma Virginie, les larmes aux yeux, (M) |
| a | 2 | Je viens pour te faire mes adieux. (M) | |
| B | b | 3 | Ah, Je m’en vais vers l’Amérique, je m’en vais vers l’Occident. (M) |
| b | 4 | Oh, adieu donc, ma Virginie, les voiles sont déjà au vent (bis). (M) | |
| A | b | 5 | Les voiles au vent, mon cher amant, (F) |
| b | 6 | Cela me cause bien du tourment. (F) | |
| B | c | 7 | Tu subiras une tempête (F) |
| b | 8 | De l’orage aussi du vent (F) | |
| C | d | 9 | Tu périras dans un offrage, (F) |
| b | 10 | Moi je serai sans amants, (bis) (F) | |
| A | e | 11 | Chère Virginie, ne crains donc rien, (M) |
| e | 12 | Je suis un des premiers marins. (M) | |
| B | f | 13 | Je te promets ma mignonnette de revenir au pays. (M) |
| f | 14 | Nous nous marierons ensemble, moi et toi, chère Virginie, (bis) (M & F) |
Legend: M = male singer; F = female singer
Rhyme Type: Coupled (M); Enclosed and irregular (F)
Rime: Suffisante (e.g., lines 1/2) and pauvre (e.g., lines 3/4)
English Translations
My Virginie, with tears in my eyes, I come to bid you farewell. Ah, I'm going to America, I'm going to the West. Oh, farewell then, my Virginie, the sails are already in the wind (repeat). Sails in the wind, my dear lover That causes me much torment. You will endure a storm. From the storm also from the wind You will perish in an offering, I will be without lovers, (repeat) Dear Virginie, do not fear anything, I am one of the first sailors. I promise you my darling to return to the country. We will marry together, me and you, dear Virginie, (repeat)
Note: I used “Transcribe Tube” to transcribe lyrics for this piece as I could not find the French lyrics online. Then, I copy and pasted the result into Google Translate to get the English translations as I cannot understand French.
Context
Could be sung in moments of personal reflection, during social gatherings like family events or cultural celebrations, or even during more somber occasions like funerals.
Narrative
The theme of the text is about farewell and the expectation of separation, but it is based on the expression of love and promises to return. In the beginning, the speaker is sad and decides to leave for America and the West. The repeated use of “les voiles sont déjà au vent”, which translates to “the sails are already in the wind” symbolizes departure. In the next section, the speaker’s lover is distraught and looks ahead to the hardships and potential danger, but still pledges to not have lovers during the speaker’s absence. Finally, the speaker reassures their lover that they will return and be together sometime in the future, though they will have to endure many challenges. The development of the poem moves from a sad farewell through anxiety and up to hope and promises about life together in the future.
Historical Influences
In the song, the speaker talks about leaving from Europe to America, which were both destinations during mass migrations, particularly during the 19th century, where people moved in search of better opportunities. These movements often involved leaving behind loved ones and facing the uncertainty of the unknown, themes central to the lyrics.
The themes in the song might be influenced by Romanticism, which is a cultural movement emphasizing emotions, individualism, and the search for personal and national identity. It accords with the themes of longing, separation, and idealization of the future. Much of the literature and poetry of the era dealt with exile, homecoming, and personal and national concerns. The speaker vows to return to Virginie, an idealized figure representing the homeland. The action of leaving—especially as a trip to the Americas—could be due to the socio-economic environment at that time; perhaps the speaker’s separation represents some kind of economic or social necessity in which his promise to return is a metaphor for hope, duty, and loyalty. It may have said something about the pressures on people who were forced to leave their homelands in search of a better life and who often left loved ones behind with promises to return that were not always fulfilled.
The writer’s personal relation to the themes of love, departure, and promises of return might mirror their own life experiences. Maybe the author suffered from separation, migration, or the loss of love due to distance. Cultural influence has probably dictated the idealized depiction of love as emotional and romantic, and a function of the latter may find reflection in the writer’s life through hopes or regrets over promises to return. The romantic ideal of Virginie, perhaps a metaphor for the homeland or a loved one, brings it closer to the personal connection that the writer of the song has with the themes involved.
Related Contents
- Clifford, Becky. “Marie Madeleine: Exploring Language, Style, and Humour in the Acadian Folksong Tradition.” OUPblog, 2 July 2021, blog.oup.com/2021/07/marie-madeleine-exploring-language-style-and-humour-in-the-acadian-folksong-tradition/. Accessed 14 Jan. 2025.
- A. Sance, Elisa. “The Great Deportation: A Recurring Theme in Acadian Song.” Khronikos: The Blog, 2 Apr. 2014, khronikosum.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/1247/. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
- Winick, Stephen. “Caught Our Ears: Two French Songs from Maine | Folklife Today.” The Library of Congress, Mar. 2021, blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2021/03/caught-our-ears-two-french-songs-from-maine/. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
Suggested Sources
- YouTube Recording of Ma Virginie (2017): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVob2wJtKQs
It is interesting that the lines sung by the male character (1-4, and 11-14 with line 14 sung by both) are regular in their rhyme scheme (coupled), while those sung (lines 5-10) by the female character are first enclosed, then irregular. Also, the sounding rime of the female character starts with the same used by the male character (“b”), but then brings in new sounds (“c” and “d”). I think the rhyming scheme matches your interpretation, with the middle section expressing fear and distress about the uncertain outcome of the lover’s travel.