Qui Veut Chasser Une Migraine; An Early French Drinking Song
–Joel Frederiksen“Qui veut chasser une migraine
N’a qu’à boire toujours du bon
Et maintenir la table pleine
De cervelas et de jambon.
L’eau ne fait rien que pourrir le poumon,
Goûte, goûte, goûte, goûte compagnon!
Vide-nous ce verre et nous le remplirons.”“Whoever want to chase a headache
Has only to drink well
And keep the table laden
with sausages and ham;
Water does nothing but rot the lungs;
Taste, taste, taste, my friend!
Empty this glass and we will refill it.” –xOoh, I didn’t reblog this one yet!
W. D. Snodgrass’s eminently singable translation (found in Selected Translations, and I have to say he’s very good at these):
“Who wants to cure a migraine, let him
Drink up good wine and scuppernong.
Sausage and ham at table set him
And keep his pantry freshly hung.
Water’s no good, it only rots your lung.
Down it, down it, down it, flood it down your tongue;
Drain it off, good lads, we’ll brim it from the bung.Wine that’s beloved by our good father,
Keeping him handsome, lithe, and young,
Makes us so wise we never bother
Studying, since we’re never wrong.
Water’s no good,…etc.[verse 3 snipped because it’s not used in this recording]
Drain off your glass; let every kidney
Flow with a function fresh and strong.
Death to the man so vile and piddly
He’d slander those he drinks among.
Water’s no good,…etc.”
Oh my god, bless you for providing this translation, I was at my wit’s end trying to find the rest of these verses!
(Google only gets one so far in the department of medieval chanson lyrics…)
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