Quand j'etais chez mon pere,
Apprenti pastoureau,
Il m'a mis dans la lande,
Pour garder les troupiaux.
Troupiaux, troupiaux,
Je n'en avais guere.
Troupiaux, troupiaux,
Je n'en avais biaux.

Mais je n'en avais guere,
Je n'avais qu'trois agneaux;
Et le loup de la plaine
M'a mange la plus biau.
Troupiaux, troupiaux,...

Il etait si vorace
N'a laisse que la piau,
N'a laisse que la queue,
Pour mettre a mon chapiau.
Troupiaux, troupiaux,...

Mais des os de la bete
Me fis un chalumiau
Pour jouer a la fete,
A la fet' du hamiau.
Troupiaux, troupiaux,...

Pour fair' danser l'village,
Dessous le grandormiau,
Et les jeun's et les vieilles,
Les pieds dan les sabiots.
Troupiaux, troupiaux,...

[English Translation

[When I Lived With My Father]

When I lived with my father
As an apprentice shepherd,
He sent me to the moor
To look after the sheep.
Sheep, sheep,
I had but a few.
Sheep, sheep,
I had none that were bonny.

No, I had but a few,
I had but three lambs;
And the wolf from the plain
Ate the finest of those.
Sheep, sheep,...

He was so ravenous
He left only the pelt,
He left only the tail
To put on my hat.
Sheep, sheep,...

But the bones of the animal
Made me pipe
To play at the fair,
At the village fair.
Sheep, sheep,...

So the village could dance
Beneath the great elm,
Young women and old
With clogs on their feet.
Sheep, sheep,...

Copyright: IMAGEM U.S. LLC
Writer(s): BENJAMIN BRITTEN