Le roi Renaud [English translation]

Our king Renaud came back from war

From his guts streamed floods of gore

His mother on the castle wall

Saw her son approach the hall

- Renaud, Renaud, be merry and gay

A son to you is born this day

- T' is not my son, T' is not my wife

Who would give to me, back my life

Go mother mine, go on ahead

And make for me a fine white bed

There shall I not stay too long

For at midnight I'll be gone

But make it here down below

The mother must hear nothing now

The midnight hour had struck almost

King Renaud gave up the ghost

No sooner had the new day dawned

Than all the servants cried and moaned

No sooner could they break their fast

than all the maids wept to the last

- But tell me Oh sweet Mother mine

Why do our servants weep and pine ?

- Daughter mine, bathing our steeds

They let the finest drown in the reeds

- But why Oh why, sweet Mother mine

Why do our maids so weep and pine ?

- Daughter mine, when our shrouds were being washed

The newest of them all they lost

- But why Oh why, sweet Mother mine

For a shroud thus weep and pine ?

When Renaud returns from war,

We'll make the finest shroud you ever saw

But tell me Oh sweet Mother mine

What is this chant of priests so fine ?

- Daughter mine, it is the procession

going around our mansion

When it was time for her to leave her bed

I'll go to mass , so she said

And as the midday sun shone fair,

She had to choose what clothes to wear

Tell me Oh sweet Mother dear

In which dress should I appear

- Put on the green, put on the grey

But its black that's best today

But tell me Oh sweet Mother mine

What is black supposed to mean ?

- For the woman who from childed rises,

Black is the best of all disguises

When she in the church had entered

A candle was to her presented

Kneeling down came into view

New-turned earth beneath the pew

But tell me Oh sweet Mother dear

Why is the earth all strirred up here ?

- Daughter mine, I cannot hide it

My son Renaud is dead and burried

Renaud, Renaud, who I had wed

So you have gone to join the dead.

Divine Renaud, who once I wed

So you have gone to join the dead

Since our King Renaud is dead

Take these keys and for my treasure head

Take my rings, take every one

Take good care of Renaud's son

Earth open up, earth open wide

Let Renaud reclaim his bride.

The earth did open wonderous wide

the damsel disappeared inside.

• Artist:Le Poème harmonique