“Donna Lombarda” (“Dame Lombarde” means “Lady from Lombardy,”) or “Dona Bianca” (Dame White) is perhaps the most famous of the Italian ballads, also widespread in France and French Canada (Quebec). The ballad handed down to the present day through an infinity of regional variations, tells the story of a young wife instigated by her lover to poison her husband and of a newborn baby who miraculously begins to speak to reveal the intrigue. A typical murder ballad of Celtic area with a supernatural event!(first part)
FRENCH VERSIONS
Born in the Piedmont area, soon with the title of “L’empoisonneuse “(The poisoner) or Dame Lombarde the ballad “Dona Bianca” crosses the Alps and arrives in French soil, the versions shown have the same melody (although the arrangements they can not be more different) and similar texts.
Véronique Chalot from J’ai Vu Le Loup, 1978. Medieval, dreamlike and hypnotic atmospheres and the enchanting fairy voice of Veronique
Malicorne from Colin 1975
Audrey Le Jossec-Nicolas Quemener Quartet live
Allons au bois, charmante dame allons au bois; Nous trouverons le serpent verde, nous le tuerons. Dans une pinte de vin rouge nous le mettrons; Quand ton mari viendra de chasse, grand soif aura. Tirez du vin, charmante dame, tirez du vin! – Oh, par ma foi, mon amant Pierre(1), n’y a de tiré. L’enfant du brés jamais ne parle, a bien parlé: – Ne buvez pas de ça, mon père, vous en mourrez! – Buvez ça vous, charmante dame, buvez ça vous. – Ah, par ma foi, mon amant Pierre, n’a point de soif Elle n’a pas bu demi-verre, s’est renversée Elle n’en a pas bu le plein verre, a trépassé |
English translation* “Let us go to the woods, Dame Lombarde, let us go to the woods; We will find the green serpent, and we shall slay it. In a pint of red wine we shall place it; When your husband returns from hunting, such thirst he will have. Pour some wine, Dame Lombarde, pour some wine!” “Oh, by my faith, my friend Pierre took none.” The cradle baby never speaks, but he spoke well: “Do not drink of it, my father —you’ll die of it.” “You all shall drink, Dame Lombarde, drink of it. By my faith, my friend Pierre is not thirsty.” She drank less than half a glass, and fell over. She did not finish a full glass, and crossed over. |
NOTE
* from here
1) in the French version we see a real triangle with lover and husband who are friends and go hunting together. The woman betrays herself because she refuses to serve the poisoned wine to her lover
Different text different melody but same subject, the ballad (Haute Savoie) is sometimes entitled “The Rossignolet” (not to be confused with the title “Rossignolet du bois”)
Mireille Ben ♪
I Rossignolet du bois joli (1) Mais enseignez-moi donc Mais enseignez-moi donc Enseignez-moi de la poison C’est pour empoisonner C’est pour empoisonner II Pour empoisonner mon mari Qui est jaloux de moi (bis) Allez là-haut sur ces coteaux Là vous en trouverez (bis) III La tête d’un serpent maudit Là vous le couperez Entre deux plats d’or et d’argent Là vous la pilerez IV Dans une chopine de vin blanc Là vous la verserez Quand votre mari r’viendra des champs Grande soif il aura V Il vous dira : Belle Isabeau Apporte-moi de l’eau Vous lui direz : c’est pas de l’eau C’est du vin qu’il vous faut VI A mesure que la belle versait Le vin il noircissait L’enfant qui était dans son berceau Son père avertissait VII Papa, papa n’en buvez pas Ca vous ferait mourir Il lui a dit : Belle Isabeau T’en boiras devant moi VIII Oh ! non, oh ! non mon cher mari ! Oh ! non, je n’ai point soif La mort devrait-elle y passer La belle vous en boirez !(2) IX Pour la couronne du roi de France, Oui moi je le boira et je le finirai Ah ! que maudite soit ma voisine De m’avoir enseigné |
English translation Cattia Salto I Pretty nightingale of the woods show me then show me then show me about the poison It is to poison It is to poison II To poison my husband Who is jealous of me ” “Go up there on yon hills And there you will find it III The head of a cursed snake There, you will cut it, And between two plates of gold and silver There, you will crush it IV In a pint of white wine There, you will pour it When your husband returns from the fields He will have a great thirst V He will tell you: Bella Isabella Bring me some water You will tell him: it is not water It’s some wine you need ” VI As the beautiful woman poured The wine became cloudy, The child who was in the cradle He warned his father VII “Daddy, Dad, do not drink it This will make you die! ” He told her: “Bella Isabella You will drink in front of me ” VIII “Oh! No, oh! No my dear husband! Oh! No, I’m not really thirsty ” “Death must pass here Nice to drink from you! ” IX “”For the crown of the king of France Yes, I will drink it and finish it. Ah! Cursed be my neighbor For having instructed me” |
NOTES
version reported by Flavio Poltronieri
1) the revised version thus begins
Rossignolet du bois,
rossignolet sauvage,
apprends-moi ton langage,
apprends-moi-z à parler,
apprends-moi la manière
comment il faut aimer.
2) in the Piedmontese version, the husband forces his wife to show her his sword
Here is still a version that mixes the two texts but with a different ending: it is only the husband who dies from the poison
La Part du Feu from Le Vent du Nord, 2009 ♪
I Rossignolet du bois joli enseigne-moi je t’en prie Enseigne-moi de la poison c’est pour empoisonner II Pour empoisonner mon mari qui est jaloux de moi Allez là-bas sur ces cours d’eau là vous en trouverez III La tête d’un serpent méchant là vous la couperez Dans un grand plat d’or et d’argent là vous la pillerez IV Quand votre mari arrivera du champ un grand soif il aura Il vous dira ma bonne dame donnez-moi donc de l’eau V Vous lui direz mon cher mari ce n’est pas de l’eau qu’il faut C’est bien du vin mais pas de l’eau que vous boirerez VI Tout pendant qu’il en buvait le vin qui noircissait L’enfant qui était dans le berceau son père avertissait VII N’en buvez pas de ce vin-là car ça vous ferait mourir Pour moi la mort vraie y passait la grand soif que j’avais (1) |
English translation Cattia Salto I “Pretty nightingale of the woods show me then show me about the poison It is to poison II To poison my husband Who is jealous of me ” “Go down that stream and there you will find III the head of a cursed snake you will cut it and in a tray of gold and silver you will crush it IV When your husband comes back from the fields he will have a lot of thirst, he will tell you – my beautiful lady, bring me water V And you will tell him – my dear husband you do not need water but of wine, it is not water what you will drink- ” VI While he was drinking the wine became cloudy and the infant who was in the cradle he warned his father VII “Do not drink that wine that will make you die! ” But the thirst I had he killed me |
NOTES
1) it is the poisoned husband who bears the testimony of his death
LINK
http://faculty.complit.illinois.edu//rrushing/Kithara/Notes/Entries/2011/10/23_Dame_Lombarde.html
https://www.antiwarsongs.org/canzone.php?lang=it&id=42932
