Burgundy is the region in eastern France which is one of France's prime areas for the development of noëls (carols). Much of the carol activity in Burgundy came from the pen of the French lawyer and poet Bernard de la Monnoye (1641-1728), the carol poet laureate of Burgundy. Several of his Christmas poems are still in print today. All of Monnoye's carols, written in the Burgundian dialect, were composed around 1700 and set to folk tunes, though some of the music may have been written by Monnoye himself. The carol Patapan was first published in his collection Noël borguignon (1700) with the title Guillô, pran ton tamborin (Willie, Bring Your Little Drum). The carol revolves around the birth of Jesus, and is told from the perspective of children playing simple instruments (flutes and drums), with onomatopoeic sounds mimicking the sounds of the instruments - "patapan" mimics the sound of the drum, "tu-re-lu-re-lu" the flute.
The carol features two boys, Guillô (Willie) and Robbin, who are taught to praise God and rejoice at the birth of Christ by playing upon the drum and flute. Willie and Robin were common characters in old French carols (like Peter, Mary, Jack and Jill in English nursery rhymes), and the praise they give is symbolic of the village community as a whole giving praise to God. It has been translated numerous times into English (see here), each giving its own take on the original text.
Here's the first verse in the original Burgundian dialect (with a literal English translation):
Guillô, pran ton tamborin / William, take your drum
Toi, pran tai fleute Robbin / You, take your flute, Robin
Au son de ces instruman / To the sound of these instruments
Turelurelu, patapatapan / Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pata-pata-pan
Au son de ces instruman / To the sound of these instruments
Je diron Noei gaiman / I will say Christmas cheerfully
And now the full carol, in modernized French, again with a literal English translation:
Guillaume, prends ton tambourin
William, take your tambourine,
Toi, prends ta flûte, Robin
You, Robin, take your flute.
Au son de ces instruments
To the sound of these instruments,
Turelurelu, patapatapan
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de ces instruments
To the sound of these instruments,
Je dirai Noël gaîment
I will joyfully sing of Christmas.
C'était la mode d’autrefois
It was the custom of old,
De louer le Roi des rois
To praise the King of Kings,
Au son de ces instruments
To the sound of these instruments,
Turelurelu, patapatapan
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de ces instruments
To the sound of these instruments,
Il nous en faut faire autant
We must do the same.
Ce jour le diable est vaincu
This day the devil is vanquished,
Rendons-en grâce à Jésus
Let us give thanks to Jesus.
Au son de ces instruments
To the sound of these instruments,
Turelurelu, patapatapan
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de ces instruments
To the sound of these instruments,
Faisons la nique à Satan
Let us defy Satan.
L'homme et Dieu sont plus d’accord
Man and God are more in accord,
Que la flûte et le tambour
Than the flute and the drum;
Au son de ces instruments
To the sound of these instruments,
Turelurelu, patapatapan
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de ces instruments
To the sound of these instruments,
Chantons, dansons, sautons en
Let us sing, dance, and leap for joy!
Here, now, is the English version used in David Conte arrangement:
Willie bring your little drum;
Robin bring your flute and come;
And be merry while you play,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pa-ta-pa-ta-pan.
And be merry while you play,
On this joyful Christmas day!
When the men of olden days
To the king of Kings gave praise,
On the fife and drum did play,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pa-ta-pa-ta-pan.
On the fife and drum did play,
On this joyful Christmas day!
God and man today become
More in tune than fife and drum;
So be merry while you play,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pa-ta-pa-ta-pan.
So be merry while you play,
Sing and dance this Christmas day!
Pat-a-pan - Atlanta Master Chorale (arr. by David Conte)
And yet another translation, which is used in the next two videos:
Willie take your little drum,
With a whistle Robin come,
When we hear the fife and drum,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pa-ta-pa-ta-pan.
When we hear the fife and drum
Christmas should be frolicsome.
So the people in those days (Thus the men of olden days)
Loved the King of Kings to raise,
When they hear the fife and drum,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pa-ta-pa-ta-pan.
When they hear the fife and drum,
All the children soon will come. (Sure our children won't be dumb!)
God and man are now become
More at one than fife and drum
When you hear the fife and drum,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pa-ta-pa-ta-pan.
When you hear the fife and drum,
Dance and make the village hum.
Pat-a-pan - Quadriga Consort
Pat-a-pan - Yura Lytkin & Friends
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