Knights of the roundtable (popular song)

This article describes a song . For the other significances of the expression, to see the page of homonymy Knights of the Roundtable (homonymy).

Chevaliers of the roundtable is a popular song sometimes sung in France, with the Quebec and in New England.

Like number of popular songs, the melody is simple and repetitive and there exist many alternatives of the words. The structure of the sentences is the following one:

Two first Towards sung in (a)
three (even four) first syllables of the second towards, followed “yes, yes, yes”
three (even four) first syllables of the second towards, followed of “not, not, not”
the second towards
Passage to double towards following

Text

1st version:

Knight S of the roundtable,

Let us taste to see whether the Vin is good;

Let us taste to see, yes, yes, yes,

Goûtons to see, not, not, not,

Goûtons to see whether the wine is good.

I will drink of them five to six Bouteille S,

With a woman on my knees;

With a woman, yes, yes, yes,

With a woman, not, not, not,

With a woman on my knees.

And if the barrel is burst,

I will drink some until my Plaisir;

I will drink some, yes, yes, yes,

I will drink some, not, not, not,

I will drink some until my pleasure.

And if there remain some drops about it,

will be to refresh us;

It will be, yes, yes, yes…

But here that one knocks on the door

I believe well that it is the husband;

I believe well, yes, yes, yes…

If it is him, that the devil carries it

Because it comes to disturb my pleasure;

Because it comes, yes, yes, yes…

If I die, I want that me am buried

In a cellar where good Vin has there;

In a cellar, yes, yes, yes,…

two feet against the wall

And the head under the Tap;

And the head, yes, yes, yes…

And my Os, in this manner

Will remain, soaked with Vin;

Will remain, yes, yes, yes…

And the four larger drunkards

Will carry the four corners of cloth;

Will carry, yes, yes, yes…

On my Tomb, I want that one registers

Ici to lie the king of the drinkers;

to lie Here, yes, yes, yes…

the Morale of this history

Is that it is necessary to drink before dying;

Is that it is necessary, yes, yes, yes…

2nd version