V'la L'bon Vent - Lizzy Hoyt

I first heard this song back in college on a recording by folksingers Ian & Sylvia. The song was in French; an old voyageur song that used to be sung by early French traders in America and Canada. I'd been looking for a song to sing on long canoe trips. I wasn't able to memorize all of it, but I got enough of it to help me keep up my paddling rhythm on summer canoe trips with my canoe classes. It's a fun song with a driving rhythm and really odd words. But then folk songs are not noted for their Shakespearean intricacies.  Here's Miss Lizzy's version followed by the lyrics in both English and French.

V'la L'bon Vent
(Voyageur Paddling Song)

V'la l'bon vent, v'la l'joli vent
V'la l'bon vent, ma mie m'appelle
V'la l'bon vent, v'la l'joli vent
V'la l'bon vent, ma mie m'attend

Derrière chez nous y'a un étang,
Trois beaux canards y vont nageant

V'la l'bon vent, v'la l'joli vent
V'la l'bon vent, ma mie m'appelle
V'la l'bon vent, v'la l'joli vent
V'la l'bon vent, ma mie m'attend

Le fils du Roi y va chassant,
avec son beau fusil d'argent

V'la l'bon vent, v'la l'joli vent
V'la l'bon vent, ma mie m'appelle
V'la l'bon vent, v'la l'joli vent
V'la l'bon vent, ma mie m'attend

ô fils du Roi, tu es méchant

Visa le noir, tua le blanc,

V'la l'bon vent, v'la l'joli vent
V'la l'bon vent, ma mie m'appelle
V'la l'bon vent, v'la l'joli vent
V'la l'bon vent, ma mie m'attend 


V'la L'bon Vent
(Voyageur Paddling Song) 
Translation:

Chorus:
Here's the good wind, here's the pretty wind,
Here's the good wind!
My friend is calling me.
Here's the good wind, here's the pretty wind,
Here's the good wind!
My friend is waiting for me.

Behind our place there is a pond.
Behind our place there is a pond.
Three fine ducks are bathing there.

Chorus:

The king's son goes hunting there,
The king's son goes hunting there
With his big silver gun.

Chorus:

Aimed at the black one, killed the white,
Aimed at the black one, killed the white,
And all its feathers went with the wind.

Chorus:

There are three ladies picking them up.
There are three ladies picking them up.
And we will make a camp bed.

Chorus:

The two of us will sleep in it,
The two of us will sleep in it,
To have some little children there.
Chorus:

I need to learn the last two verses yet. I really like Lizzy's gentle version of the song. It's on my phone now so I should be able to practice it a little.

Enjoy.

Tom