Les moines de Saint-Bernardin : Vieille chanson, arrangée et harmonisée par Auguste Persiani, partition pour chant et piano, Paris, E. Lacroix, v. 1928.
Les moines de Saint-Bernardin, Ray Ventura et ses collégiens (chant), 1 disque 78 tours (échantillon invendable), Pathé, CPT 2382, 1935.
[1941], Cherche-Midi prison
This version uses the melody of the song Les moines de Saint-Bernardin, which itself is inspired by a very old piece: a polyphonic song – composed by Franco-Flemish church cantor Loyset Compère (v. 1455-1518) and called Nous sommes de l’Ordre de Saint Babouyn – whose publication can be traced back to 1501, in Venice, in the Harmonice Musices Odhecaton printed by Ottaviano Petrucci (a central figure in the dissemination of works of his time). Compère’s piece is based on an even older song attributed to the Order of the Baboon (later known as the Order of St. Baboon), a drinking fraternity founded by court poet Eustache Deschamps (v. 1346-v. 1406). Much like the Renaissance polyphony that inspired it, Les moines de Saint-Bernardin playfully evokes ecclesiastical life, presenting it as a series of pleasures at the table and between the sheets.
The recording presented here was published in 1935 on the Pathé label and comes from Ray Ventura et ses collégiens, a group that was wildly popular in the 1930s thanks to their satirical songs, of which Tout va très bien Madame la marquise [Everything’s just peachy Madam Marchioness] is an excellent example.
From Compère’s polyphony to the singing group Ray Ventura et ses collégiens, it is worth noting the importance of collective performance throughout the history of Les moines de Saint-Bernardin and the inspiration behind it – a significant aspect for Yvonne Oddon and her fellow prisoners. In its reworked version, Oddon’s song tackles the same themes as its source, but adapted from a monastic setting to a penal one. She describes the reality of the Cherche-Midi from an ironically glowing perspective (comfortable room, food designed not to “wear out” the stomach, etc.) and takes up the original text’s recurring phrases (“That’s what’s good”, “At that’s the life so charmed, that all the prisoners [all the monks] lead”). The irony works even better because the original also describes a daily life that, in theory, should be austere.
In the side-by-side transcription, we have modified the order of the source song’s verses (indicated by a dotted line), to line them up thematically with the order used by Oddon. It should be noted that in the transformed version there is also a grisly verse about the death sentences in the prisons, which does not match up, even loosely, with the lyrics of the original song.
[Sources: references 47, 61, 96, 98 in the bibliography]
Les moines de Saint-Bernardin
The Monks of Saint-Bernardin
(oral tradition)
1
Nous sommes les Moines de Saint-Bernardin, (bis)
We’re the monks of Saint-Bernardin, (bis)
Nous nous couchons tard et levons pas matin, (bis)
We go to bed late and sleep in, (bis)
Quand l’prieur nous embête,
When the prior annoys us,
On lui colle un bouchon.
We stick a cork in him.
Voilà c’qu’est bon, et bon, bon, bon…
That’s what’s good, and good, good, good…
Et voilà la vie, la vie, la vie, la vie chérie. Ah ! Ah !
And that’s the life, the life, the life, the life so charmed. Oh! Oh!
Et voilà la vie que tous les Moines font… (bis)
And that’s the life that all the monks lead… (bis)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
3
À notre coucher dans un lit aux draps blancs (bis)
When we go to bed in a white-sheeted bed (bis)
Avec une nonne de quinze à seize ans (bis)
With a nun of fifteen or sixteen (bis)
Qu’a les formes bien grasses et les nichons bien ronds.
With a plump form and well-rounded bosom.
Voilà c’qu’est bon, et bon, bon, bon…
That’s what’s good, and good, good, good…
to Refrain
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2
Pour notre dîner, de bons petits oiseaux (bis)
For our dinner, some tasty little birds (bis)
Que l’on nomme cailles, bécasses ou perdreaux, (bis)
Whether it’s quail, woodcock, or partridge, (bis)
Et la fine andouillette, et la tranche de jambon.
And fine little sausages, and a slice of ham.
Voilà c’qu’est bon, et bon, bon, bon…
That’s what’s good, and good, good, good…
to Refrain
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
4
Si c’est là la vie que tous les moines font, (bis)
If that’s the life that all the monks lead, (bis)
Je me ferai moine avec la Margoton, (bis)
I’ll become a monk with Miss Lorette, (bis)
Et le soir sur l’herbette, j’lui chatouill’rai l’…menton.
And in the evening, on the soft, tender grass, I’ll tickle her…. chin.
Voilà c’qu’est bon, et bon, bon, bon…
That’s what’s good, and good, good, good…
to Refrain
Les moines du Cherche-Midi
The Monks of the Cherche-Midi
(ms p. 4)
1
C’est nous qui sommes les moines du Cherche-Midi
We’re the monks of the Cherche-Midi
Arrivés le soir, à l’aube ou dans la nuit
Arriving in the evening, at dawn, or at night
Tout’ la police d’Allemagne
All the police in Germany
Sur nous a des soupçons
Hold us under suspicion
C’est ça qu’est bon, et bon et bon !
That’s what’s good, and good and good!
Et voilà la vie, la vie la vie la vie chérie Ah Ah !
And that’s the life, the life, the life, the life so charmed. Oh! Oh!
Et voilà la vie que les prisonniers font ! (bis)
And that’s the life that all the prisoners lead… (bis)
2
Dans notre cellule on a tout le confort :
In our little cell we have all the creature comforts:
Fauteuil à bascule et sommier à ressort
Rocking chair and box spring
De chaudes couvertures, de moelleux édredons
Warm blankets, and soft quilts
C’est ça qu’est bon, et bon et bon !
That’s what’s good, and good and good!
Et voilà la vie … (etc.)
And that’s the life… (etc.)
3
Pour que l’estomac ne se fatigue pas trop
So the stomach doesn’t get too worn out
On n’lui donne rien qu’de tous petits morceaux :
We only give it tiny little bits:
Un centimètre cube de délicieux jambon
A one-centimeter cube of delicious ham
C’est ça qu’est bon, et bon et bon !
That’s what’s good, and good and good!
Et voilà la vie … (etc.)
And that’s the life… (etc.)
4
Pour nous rappeler que nous avons des torts
To remind us we’ve done wrong
On vient quelquefois en condamner à mort,
They occasionally give some a death sentence
On apprend la nouvelle par la radio-prison
We find out on the prison radio
C’est ça qu’est bon, et bon et bon !
That’s what’s good, and good and good!
Et voilà la vie … (etc.)
And that’s the life… (etc.)
5
Et pendant la nuit sur un doux matelas
And at night on a soft mattress
On rêve aux baisers qu’on ne donnera pas
We dream of never again amorous congress
On pense à sa famille, on revoit sa maison
We think of our family, we picture our house
C’est ça qu’est bon, et bon et bon !
That’s what’s good, and good and good!
Et voilà la vie … (etc.)
And that’s the life… (etc.)
