L’Alouette chanta le jour (Mon père m’y marie)
Song Title: L’Alouette chanta le jour Source: Frémeaux & Associés (Canada)
| Strophe | Rhyme | Line | Text | Translation |
| A | a | 1 | Mon père m’y marie avec un marchand de velours (bis) | My father married me with a velvet merchant |
| a (s) | 2 | Le premier jour de mes noces, ils m’ont joué un vilain tour | The first day of my marriage, they played a nasty trick on me | |
| b | 3 | O gué lon la Vive la roulette, gué lon la Vive la roulette | Hurray for roulette | |
| A | a | 2 | Le premier jour de mes noces, ils m’ont joué un vilain tour (bis) | The first day of my marriage, they played a nasty trick on me |
| a (s) | 4 | Je ne fus pas si tôt couchée, que l’alouette chanta le jour | I did not go to bed so early, that the lark sang during the day; | |
| b | 3 | O gué lon la Vive la roulette, gué lon la Vive la roulette | Hurray for roulette | |
| A | a | 5 | Disait en son langage, lève toi car il est jour (bis) | Said in his language, get up for it is day |
| a (r) | 6 | Faut il donc qu’une jeune mariée s’y lève avant le petit jour | Should a young bride therefore gets up there before dawn | |
| b | 3 | O gué lon la Vive la roulette, gué lon la Vive la roulette | Hurray for roulette | |
| A | a | 7 | Faut-il qu’une jeune mariée s’y lève avant le petit jour (bis) | Is it only necessary to have a bride if he gets up before the dawn |
| a (s) | 8 | Y’a du monde à la boutique qui veut marchander le velours | There are people at the store who wants to bargain for velvet | |
| b | 3 | O gué lon la Vive la roulette, gué lon la Vive la roulette | Hurray for roulette | |
| A | a | 9 | Le diable emporte la boutique et les marchands de velours (bis) | The devil takes away the store and the velvet merchants |
| c | 10 | Les blancs chevaux de chez mon père, ils sont bien mieux soignés que moé | My father’s white horses, they are much better cared for than me | |
| b | 3 | O gué lon la Vive la roulette, gué lon la Vive la roulette | Hurray for roulette | |
| A | a | 11 | Ils ont du foin d’l’avoine un coup d’étrille chaque jours (bis) | They have oat hay one brush per day; |
| a (r) | 12 | Et moi qui suis jeune mariée, faut m’y lever avant le jour | And I, who am a young bride, I have to get up before daybreak | |
| b | 3 | O gué lon la Vive la roulette, gué lon la Vive la roulette | Hurray for roulette |
Song type: Chanson en laisse
Performers: Le Trio Lyrique; a vocal & piano group formed in 1932, members are baritone Lionel Daunais, contralto Anna Malenfant, tenor Ludovic Huot, pianist & arranger Allan McIver
Notes: This version performed by Le Trio Lyrique was recorded in Montreal, February 16, 1947. This song was from a compilation of folk songs that are entirely orally transmitted, but the author of these songs are unknown. The songs from Quebec have origins in Brittany and Normandy, but eventually got modified during transmission, according to regions and the time so some song titles are bound to change. Examples include “Mon Père m’y marie” and its variants: “Le Marchand de velours”, “L’Alouette chanta le jour”, and “Gai lon la, vire la roulette”. Even though the title and some text were altered, it still shares the same theme. English translation was done using an online dictionary and the help of Google Translate.
Instrumentation: woodwinds, strings & 3 voices
Rhyme scheme: It’s mostly monorhyme with each strophe consisting of the aaab rhyme pattern, except for 5th strophe/stanza which is more aacb.
Rhyme type: suffisante with the ou+r combination for strophes 1, 2, and 4; then riche with j+ou+r combinations for strophes 3 and 6.
Context: marriage
Narrative: The text is on the story of a bride from the day she gets married off by her father to living the first day as a newlywed with a velvet merchant (“marchand de velours”) and she complains she wasn’t treated well to her expectations and very dissatisfied. She even compares herself to her father’s horse in her treatment and how even a horse gets a better treatment than her.
Lyrics retrieved from:
- “L’Alouette chanta le jour (Le marchand de velours)”. Chansons enfantines rondes et comptines. 2025. https://www.chansons-net.com/index.php?param1=EN00751.php
Suggested sources:
- “Le marchand de velours (2)”. Chants populaires français. 2015.
https://www.chants-populaires-francais.com/textes_152/Le_marchand_de_velours.html - “QUEBEC CENT ANS DE CHANSONS FOLKLORIQUES.” Frémeaux & Associés https://www.fremeaux.com/en/243-quebec-3700368480779-fa193.html
- “BAnQ Numerique.” 2025. Banq.qc.ca. 2025. https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/2427377
- “Le Trio Lyrique.” 2025. Thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. 2025. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/fr/article/le-trio-lyrique