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An Dro​/​Voici le Mois de Mai​/​Laridenn

from The Sound of IONA by IONA

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An Dro/Voici le Mois de Mai (the month of May)/Laridenn (Sant-Karadeg)
Brittany

And yet another tribute to a good friend. Nolwenn Monjarret, who performs frequently at the Potomac Celtic Festival (also produced by Barnaby Productions, Inc.), and helps us with Breton songs, taught us Voici le Mois de Mai at the ‘97 Festival. We sang it with her that year, and, in ‘98, she returned to sing it with us--on this recording! The song is kan ha diskan, a call and answer dance tune, arranged so that the singers don't miss a beat. It is one of courtship--by the son of the king of Spain, no less. We get our audiences singing along on the choruses: "I will never be 15 again/I will never have a 20 year old lover again"—how true! Mary contributed the an dro with which we open the set, and the laridenn, following the song, was collected by Nolwenn's father, Polig, in the most comprehensive (and mind boggling) tome we ever did see. In the finale, Bob, on chanter, is answered by Bernard on bombarde, with feeling...

lyrics

Voici le Mois de Mai
Refrain
Jamais je n'aurais mon âge de quinze ans.
Jamais je n'aurais mon amour de vingt ans.

Voici le mois de mai où les fleurs volent au vent.
Le fils du roi d'Espagne s'en va les ramassant.
Il en ramassa tant qu'll en mis plein ses gants.
Il s'en va les porter a celle qu'il aimait tant.
Tenez voici, ma mie, tenez voici des gants.
Et vous n'les porterez que deux, trois fois par an,
La fête de la Pentecôte et la fête de Saint Jean,
Le jour de notre noces qui sera le plus grand.

Translation:
I will never be fifteen again.
I will never have a lover of twenty again.

It is the month of May when the flowers fly in the wind.
The son of the King of Spain picks them up.
He collects as many as he can fill his gloves with.
He takes them to the one he loves.
Take them, my dearest, take these gloves.
You will only wear them two or three times a year,
At Pentecost and the Feast of St. John,
The day of our wedding, which will be the greatest.
© 1998 Barnaby Productions Inc.

credits

from The Sound of IONA, released October 30, 1998

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IONA Washington, D.C.

IONA has been taking its unique brand of traditional Celtic music to festivals, arts centers, schools & house concerts all over North America and Europe since 1986, blending music from the various Celtic traditions with stories and a little humor - Barbara Ryan (vocals, bouzouki, bodhran), Bernard Argent (flute, doumbek), Chuck Lawhorn (bass), Jim Queen (fiddle, banjo) & Kathleen Larrick (dance). ... more

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