“A Saint-Malo, Beau Port de Mer (At Saint Malo Beside the Sea)”

Description

French: Three ships are at anchor at St. Malo. Three women come to buy grain. They ask the merchant what his prices are. He asks for more than they can pay. They say so; he says he will give the grain away if he can't sell it that day. The women approve

Notes

Fowke report that St. Malo was the home port of Jacques Cartier, the French explorer who in 1534 named the St. Lawrence river. For this reason, the very name of the port evokes Quebec's history and patriotism.

The town itself is in Brittany, on the coast not far from the border with Normandy, and was often used as a privateering base for raids on Britain and the like. - RBW

References

  1. Fowke/Johnston, pp. 16-17, "A Saint-Malo, Beau Port de Mer (At Saint Malo Beside the Sea)" (1 text, 1 tune)
  2. Fowke/Mills/Blume, pp. 14-15 "A St. Malo, beau port de mer" (1 text, 1 tune)
  3. BI, FJ016

About

Author: unknown
Earliest date: 1946
Found in: Canada(Que)