Perhaps a hackneyed question by now, but…

just one thing: why are you speaking of French? You know by the way that Breton is a « kind of Welsh » sounding with one more drop of…English (!).

But when I can I or somebody else here will give it to you.

Best,
alan

Hi,

I haven’t ever found an English translation, only Breton -> French, so I took this from www.lyricsmania.com, and added my own English translation.  I hope it doesn’t give Alan (or any others of you who are more educated than me!) a heart failure.  Feel free to correct/add/delete as you deem appropriate!

So here are the following caveats…
1.  I don’t have an original album sleeve or source directly from one of Alan’s recordings with the lyrics, so I don’t know if the Breton is correct as far as spelling or the actual lyrics.
2.  I don’t speak Breton and don’t have a Breton dictionary, so I have no way to verify if the French translation is correct.  So the whole thing could be like that game « telephone » where the message starts out OK and then ends up totally different from the original.
3.  I totally suck at translation even on a good day, and this was done quickly with a 4 yr old « helping ».  

Hopefully it provides a general idea…

~Laura

PS  This is one of my favorite songs.  When my daughter asks me what it’s about, I just tell her it’s a song about apple juice. 



Lyrics to Son Ar Chistr :
 

Ev sistr ‘ta Laou, rak sistr zo mat, loñla
Ev sistr ‘ta Laou, rak sistr zo mat
* Bois donc du cidre, Guillaume, car le cidre est bon
  * Drink some cider, William, because cider is good

Ev sistr ‘ta Laou, rak sistr zo mat
* Bois donc du cidre, Guillaume, car le cidre est bon
  * Drink some cider, William, because cider is good
 

Ur blank, ur blank ar chopinad loñla
Ur blank, ur blank ar chopinad
* Un sou, un sou, le verre
  * One coin, one coin for a glass  <or one franc?>

Ar sistr zo graet ‘vit bout evet, loñla
* Le cidre est fait pour être bu
  * Cider is made for drinking

Hag ar merc’hed ‘vit bout karet
* Et les filles pour être aimées
  * And women are made for loving

Karomp pep hini e hini, loñla
* Aimons chacun notre chacune
  * Let’s each love our own woman

‘Vo kuit da zen kaout jalousi
* Et il n’y aura plus de jalousi
  * And there would be no more jealousy

N’oan ket c’hoazh tri mizeureujet, loñla
* Je n’étais pas marié depuis trois mois
  * I wasn’t married three months
 

‘Ben ‘vezen bemdez chikanet
* Que j’étais disputé chaque jour
* Before I was <pecked at>  every day.   chickanet reminds me of chickens/henpecked???  Sounds better than “argued with” or “disputed”??? 

Taolioù botoù, fasadigoù, loñla
* Des coups de pieds ?
  * A kick …

Ha toull an nor ‘wechadigoù
* Et le seuil de la porte quelquefois
  * And out the door sometimes  <on the doorstep is more literal, I think>
 

 
Met n’eo ket se ‘ra poan-spered din, loñla
* Mais ce n’est pas ce qui me chagrine le plus
  * But that’s not the thing that shames me the most

Ar pezh ‘oa bet lavaret din
* C’est ce qu’on disait de moi
  * It’s what they said about me

Lâret ‘oa din’oan butuner, loñla
* On disait de moi que j’étais volage
  * They said I was unfaithful

Ha lonker sistr ha merc’hetaer
* Buveur de cidre et coureur de jupons
  * A drunk  <a cider drinker is more literal> and a skirt chaser

[ Son Ar Chistr Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com/ ]

Thanks very much for him and for us.
You even translate verses I have not sung.
It is very good.
You ask some questions, though:
Blank= sou (which value was the 5th of an old Franc, the old franc was the 1% of a New Franc -since the early 60s-);
« chikanet » is a bretonisation of the French « chicané »= disputé.

It is a traditional song, but we know the authors: Jean-Bernard and Jean-Marie Prima (in 1929, in the Scaer-Guiscriff-Roudouallec region).

You’re welcome, it’s my pleasure to help.
And thank you for the kind words and for answering those questions.  Language has always fascinated me, so I find it all very interesting. 
~Laura

Alan: I will try to explain in French :p…it’s been so many years, I’ll have to get a dictionary, so excuse my bad spelling and grammar!

Mon grand-père est Canadien-français. Il a bougé aux Tres-Rivers, Massachusetts au cours des années 1930. Quand j’étais un petit garçon, j’avais toujours l’habitude de parler le français avec lui, mais quand l’école a commencé quand j’avais 5 ans, je n’avais pas d’utilisation pour le français. Donc j’ai arrêté de l’utiliser et en ai oublié la plupart, malheureusement. Quand j’ai le temps j’apprendrai encoire en fois le français. Mon « name » est Marcoux, devrait ainsi apprendre le français!

My mother is Welsh, which I speak very well, but the problem is no one else I know seems to speak Welsh, so oh well I actually tried to read the Breton with the help of the Welsh I know, but it’s very confusing! I think Breton is closer related to Cornish anyhow. Maybe if I understood the Breton sound system and alphabet it would be easier. I listen to Breton songs and look at the words, and I still don’t get it. Oh well, dyfal donc a dyrr y garreg! (Constant blows break the stone- old Welsh proverb.) Hopefully I’ll learn Breton someday- if I can find a book in English about Breton It’s such a beautiful language!

Laura- THANK YOU SO MUCH! Even if it’s only an approximate, it does me so much good, much more good than having nothing. From what I sort of remember of French it looks right anyhow

I see languages fascinate you. Which languages do you speak? Are you a translator?

Thank you all!

Michael Marcoux

Hey Michael,

in this welsh proverb, you use at least one breton word: garreg. The problem is that even if ten thousands words are common, it leaves to welsh and breton speakers the freedom to use other words, though. But if we made the choice to use only common words it would be of course very easy.

When I can , I will develop in my blog the pan-celtic vocabulary I have begun.

Yes Cornish is generally closer, even if sometime Welsh is closer to Breton (tad, byd, for exemple).

Son ar chistr lyrics are not that much poetic. It is a drinking song.

You are welcome to write here some comments in Welsh (adding the general meaning in English).

A chwyl,
alan

About learning Breton through English, have you tried http://kervarker.org/?newlang=english ? There is only half of the book online, but it checks exercises for you, etc. so it’s very useful to get started.

Hey y’all,      

Michael… You’re welcome, no problem at all! No, I am not a translator. I just play one on the internet. 

I agree with Boru, kervarker.org is good, and it’s free. There are also correspondence courses like Skol Ober, and materials from UK sites and from amazon, with varying prices. There is also some info on the forum, if you go through the back posts.

—Alan (or anyone who speaks Breton)—what does fasadigou mean? It’s from the song, but I don’t think it’s translated in the French line. I have been using it around the house when I want to curse, but can’t use an English word around « little ears ». For example, last night I dropped a glass and it broke, so I said, « Fasadigou!!! » It works quite well, and if my daughter says it at school, I don’t get a phone call! But I am curious as to what it really means.

Take care,

Laura

According to my dictionary it means « petites claques » or « little slaps ». I can’t tell if there are any more poetic meanings

Thanks Boru!
dêkuji!