L’alouette et le pinson

C’est l’alouette et le pinson qui voulions se marier,
Quand ils ont t’és marier, ils avions rien à manger.

Mon alouette danse bien la malurette,
Mon oiseau danse comme il faut.

Quand ils ont t’és marier, ils avions rien à manger,
Ils ont vu venir un lapin, et dans ses pattes portait un pain.

Ils ont vu venir un lapin, et dans ses pattes portait un pain,
Ah ! Du pain ct’ heure nous en ont, mais de la viande il nous en faut.

Ah ! Du pain ct’ heure nous en ont, mais de la viande il nous en faut,
Ils on vu venir un corbeau, et dans son bec portait un gigot.

Ils on vu venir un corbeau, et dans son bec portait un gigot,
Ah ! De la viande ct’ heure nous en ont, mais du vin il nous en faut.

Ah ! De la viande ct’ heure nous en ont, mais du vin il nous en faut,
Ils ont vu venir un gros rat, dessous son bras portait un baril.

Ils ont vu venir un gros rat, dessous son bras portait un baril,
Ah ! Du vin ct’ heure nous en ont, mais un violon il nous en faut.

Ah ! Du vin ct’ heure nous en ont, mais un violon il nous en faut,
Ils ont vu venir un gros chat, dessous son bras portait un violon.

Ils ont vu venir un gros chat, dessous son bras portait un violon,
Entrez-y Monsieur le chat, et les noces se sauva !

Cape Breton Lullaby

Driftwood is burning blue, wild walk the wall shadows,
Night winds go riding by, riding by the lochie meadows.
On to the ring of day flows Mira's stream singing:
“Caidil gu la laddie, la, laddie, sleep the stars away.”
Far on Beinn Bhreagh's side wander the lost lambies.
Here, there and ev'rywhere, ev'rywhere their troubled mammies

Find them and fold them deep, fold them to sleep singing:
“Caidil gu la laddie, la, laddie, sleep the moon away.”
Daddy is on the bay, he'll keep the pot brewin',
Keep all from tumblin' down, tumblin' down to rack and ruin.
Pray, Mary, send him home safe from the foam singing:
“Caidil gu la laddie, la, laddie, sleep the dark away.”

Flowers of Bermuda

He was the captain of the Nightingale
Twenty-one days from Clyde in coal
He could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale
When he died on the North Rock shoal.

Just five short hours from Bermuda
In a fine October gale
O there came a cry, " Oh, there be breakers dead ahead
From the collier Nightingale.

No sooner had the captain brought her round,
Then came a rending crash below
Hard on her beam ends groaning, went the Nightingale
And overside her mainmast blows.

"O captain are we all for drowning?"
Came a cry from all the crew
"The boats be smashed! How are we all then to be saved?
They are stove in through and through.

O are ye brave and hardy colliermen
Or are you blind now and cannot see?
O the captain's gig still lies before ye whole and sound
It shall carry all of we.

But when the crew was all assembled
And the gig prepared for sea
‘Twas seen there were but eighteen places to be manned
And nineteen mortal souls were we

But cries the captain," now do not delay
Nor do you spare a thought for me
My duty is to save you all now
Save ye all now if I can see ye return quick as can be

Oh, there be flowers in Bermuda
Beauty lies on every hand
And there be laughter ease and drink there for every man
But there is no joy for me!

For when we reached the wretched Nightingale
What an awful sight was plain
The captain, drowned, was tangled in the mizzen chains
Smiling bravely beneath the sea.

The Maid on the Shore

There was a fair maiden, she lived all alone,
She lived all alone on the shore-o.
But all could she find for to ease her sad mind,
Was to wander alone on the shore, shore, shore,
To wander alone on the shore-o.

There was a brave captain, who sailed a fine ship,
And the weather be steady and fair-o.
“I shall die, I shall die” this brave captain did cry,
“If I can’t have that maid on the shore, shore, shore,
If I can’t have that maid on the shore-o.”

Well the captain he ran and he lowered a boat,
And quickly he rowed it to shore-o.
And these were the very first words he did say,
“Fair maid won’t you venture on board, on board?
Fair maid won’t you venture on board?”

After many persuasions he brought her on board,
He seated her down in his chair-o.
He invited her down to his cabin below,
“Farewell to all sorrow and care-o,
Farewell to all sorrow and care-o!”

“I’ll sing you a song” this fair maid did cry,
The captain was weeping for joy-o.
She sang it so sweetly, so soft and completely,
She sang captain and sailors to sleep-o,
Captain and sailors to sleep-o.

She robbed them of jewels; she robbed them of gold,
She robbed them of costly fine wares-o!
The captain’s broadsword she used for an oar,
To row her way back to the shore, shore, shore,
To row her way back to the shore!

The men they were crazy, the men they were sad,
They were deeply so down in despair-o.
To see her go away with her beauty so gay,
Her rings and her things and her fine fair-o,
Her rings and her things and her fine fair-o.

And yonder she stands all alone on the shore,
A-waving her handkerchief fair-o.
“I sang you to sleep and I robbed you of wealth,
And I’m still a maid on the shore, shore, shore,
And I’m still a maid on the shore!”

Will Ye No Come Back Again?

Bonnie Charlie's gone away
Safely o’er the friendly main;
Many’s a heart will break in twain,
Should he ne'er come back again.
Will ye no come back again?
Will ye no come back again?
Better loved ye canna be,
Will ye no come back again?
We watched thee in the gloamin' hour,
We watched thee in the morning grey.
Thirty thousand pounds they gave,
O there is none that would betray!
English bribes were all in vain,
Though poor and poorer we mun be.
Silver canna buy the heart,
That aye beats warm for thine and thee.
Sweet’s the laverock' s note and lang,
Lilting wildly up the glen.
But aye to me he sings a sang,
Will ye no come back again?