from Turtle Mountain Music  

(performance by Delia LaFloe) 

 Text Notes: 

• French text was retrieved through the “Plains Chippewa/Metis Music from Turtle Mountain” album liner notes. 

• Line breaks provided in the translation differ from the liner notes to align with strophes as identified in this analysis per the accompanying recording. 

• The provided translation below differs from the liner notes to provide more direct and detailed translations of each line. 

English Translation: 

Grand dieu, tiens, le temps est long[e]*. Que le temps qu’il est ennuyant. 

Great God, time is boring. 

Je m’en [vais]** laisser [les voir]** pour aller dans mon pays. 

I’m going to leave them to go to my country. 

Pour aller dans mon pays, la ville de Montréal[e]*.  

To go to my country, the city of Montreal. 

Pour aller voir m’aime qu’elle est la plus aimable. 

To go see my love, she is the kindest. 

Toutes les gaies que j’ai dans ce monde c’est mon père ou c’est ma mère 

All the joys I have in this world is my father or my mother 

donc mes frères et donc mes oncles et mes tantes pareillement 

so (too)*** my brothers and so (too)*** my uncles and aunts alike. 

Le cœur de ma Clarisse que j’aime bien comme mama 

The heart of my Clarisse, whom I love like I do my mother 

j’espère qu’on la verra car elle est la plus aimable. 

I hope we will see her because she is the kindest. 

Qui l’a composée la chansonnette? C’est un jeune, un matelot. 

Who composed the little song? It was a young man, a sailor. 

C’était un jour qu’il était en plein voyage qu’il l’a chantée tout du long 

It was a day when he was in the middle of a voyage that he sang it all the way through 

Qu’il l’a chantée tout du long qui était bien véritable. 

He sang it all the way through, which was very true. 

Adieu, ma chan’ pillée. Adieu, ma chan’ sauvage. 

Farewell, my stolen song. Farewell, my wild song. 

*An extra “e” has been added as a sung syllable 

**Text may differ from the recording 

***Added for clarity in English, however a direct translation cannot be found in the original text. 

Laforte classification: Strophic 

• Fixed form of 4 lines per strophe, with each verse ending with a couplet 

• A narrative revolving around idyllic love (of a presumed lover and family, as well as country) and traveling. 

Narrative: 

A sailor is away from home; his home being Montreal. He begins with exclaiming to God about how long and lonesome it is. The song progresses into him deciding to go back. While on this journey back, he envisions seeing his family again; whom of which, bring joy to his life. The song ends in a third point perspective of the performer, explaining the origins of the story and their own sympathies to his story. 

Historical Context: 

This song is part of a collection of music recorded by the Chippewa and Cree Metis peoples from the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reservation in North Dakota. The narrator in the beginning of the song had likely been living in the reserve and begun hoping to return to his home, Montreal. The liner notes indicate he was bidding “adieu” to aboriginal people. Along with this note, the original text being in French, and attributing Montreal to home, there is a good probability that the original singer was from Québec. 

Full French text being sung by a métis (Delia LaFloe) in a traditional chanson style reflects the close interaction of early French settlers with Indigenous groups. The connection between groups in North Dakota and Montreal also goes to show the distance the fur trade encouraged movement throughout Canada and the United States. The entirety of the song is perpetuated by a sense of longing for familial relationships and community.  

The shift in perspective of the last strophe, and the use of the word “pillée” on the last line, might indicate that this yearning has not yet been fulfilled by the singer. Alternatively, it may also be referring to inevitable separation from family members caused by having to move during the period of fur trading. Regardless of its exact meaning, the last strophe signifies that this story has significance that holds true to the experience of the residents of Turtle Mountain. 

Suggested sources:

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings 

Related contents:

Ojibwe

Métis