Tri Martolod

Three young sailors (tra la la la lala la) <-- I won't write that each and every time...(IMG:/forum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
Three young sailory went on a journey

The wind drove them
To the new world

Beside the stone of the old mill
They lowered anchor

And in the mill
There was a servant

She asked me
Where we got to know each other

In Nantes at the market
We chose a ring

The ring of engagement
And we were short before marriage

We will marry
Even if we don't have any goods

My mother, you are living comfortable
You don't know who is suffering

We have neither house nor straw
Nor bed to sleep at night

We have neither sheet nor blanket
Or quilt (pillow?) beneath our heads

We will do it like the down-and-out
We will sleep on the floor

We will do it like the partridge
When the sun rises, it runs away

My song is at an end
The on who knows, may continue

Cheers- first heard Breton through Stivell albums in the 1970s. Then on radio stations when driving from Cherbourg to Bordeaux or the Vendee on holidays.
The site looks very promising.
Yes- it was the borrowed words which interested me
Martolod- matelot.
Always a sign of a living and dynamic language that it gradually accomodates change.
It might interest you that Glasgow city Council have agreed to set up a Gaelic Secondary school ( 11 to 18 year olds) . Previously Gaelic secondary education in Scotland was only available in the western Isles. Seems a positive sign.

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BTW: Some polish shanties bands sing this song with polish lyrics, and I was wonder if it's translation or not - it seems someone write whole new lyrics from scratch:)

Strange, because irish music and culture is very popular in Poland - we have lot of bands which plays original irish/celtic music, and makes new music inspired by this tradition (like Carrantuohill, Stonehenge, Shannon, and others), but breton music is almost unknown. Sad, because it's beautiful.
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