D. L. Menard La Porte D'en Arriere - to English

I have never been been satisfied with a few Cajun French to English translations on the internet - so if someone wants to give it a try -
Warning - this is in Cajun, nor Parisian French
(this is the Cajun National Anthem)

Moi et ma belle on avait été au bal
On a passé dans tout les honky tonks
S'en a revenu lendemain matin
Le jour était apres s'casser
J'ai passé dedans la porte d'en arrière.

L'apres midi mois j'étais au village
Et j'm'ai saoulé que j'pouvais plus marcher
Ils m'ont ramené back à la maison
Il y avait de la compagnie, c'était du monde étranger
J'ai passé dedans la porte d'en arrière.

Mon vieux père un soir quand j'arrivais
Il a essayé dechanger mon idée
J'ai pas écouté, moi j'avais trop la tête dur
"Un jour à venir, mon neg', tu va avoir du regret
T'as passé dedans la porte d'en arrière."

J'ai eu un tas d'amis quand j'avais de l'argent
Asteur j'ai plus d'argent, mais ils voulont plus me voir
J'etais dans le village, et moi j'mai mis dans tracas
La loi m'a ramassé, moi j'suis parti dans la prison,
On va passé dedans la porte d'en arrière.

I think I more or less understand the lyrics.... except for the key phrase 'J'ai passé dedans la porte d'en arrière' ('I entered through the back door', no doubt, but obviously it is not to be understood literally). I guess it means doing something unseen, something that should not be seen, or something illegal. There may be a sexual connotation too. So, for what it's worth:

Moi et ma belle on avait été au bal
...Me and my girl went to the dance
On a passé dans tout les honky tonks
...We went to every single bar
S'en a revenu lendemain matin
...Came back next morning
Le jour était apres s'casser
...Daylight about to break (I guess: the sun was rising)
J'ai passé dedans la porte d'en arrière.
...(And) I entered through the back door

L'apres midi mois j'étais au village
...That afternoon I was in the village
Et j'm'ai saoulé que j'pouvais plus marcher
...I got so drunk that I couldn't walk anymore
Ils m'ont ramené back à la maison
...They brought me back to my house
Il y avait de la compagnie, c'était du monde étranger
...We had (lit.: there was) company, they were strange people
J'ai passé dedans la porte d'en arrière.
...(And) I entered through the back door

Mon vieux père un soir quand j'arrivais
...My old man (i.e. my father), one night when I arrived
Il a essayé dechanger mon idée
...tried to persuade me (lit.: to change my idea(s))
J'ai pas écouté, moi j'avais trop la tête dur
...I didn't listen, I was too stubborn (lit.: had too hard a head)
"Un jour à venir, mon neg', tu va avoir du regret
..."One of these days, my n/i/g/g/e/r, you will be sorry
T'as passé dedans la porte d'en arrière."
...to have entered through the back door."

J'ai eu un tas d'amis quand j'avais de l'argent
...I had a lot of friends when I had money
Asteur j'ai plus d'argent, mais ils voulont plus me voir
...Now ('a cette heure') that I have no money anymore, they no longer want to see me
J'etais dans le village, et moi j'mai mis dans tracas
...I was in the village, and me, I got myself into trouble (a fight)
La loi m'a ramassé, moi j'suis parti dans la prison,
...The law picked me up from the floor, and me, I went to prison
On va passé dedans la porte d'en arrière.
...We will enter through the back door

Cortom, as lyala said, you're a genious. I'm really, really, impressed by your french understanding, and now even the Cajun. Really impressed. You've got evety tricky meaning. Bravo.

Having said that, I'm already a fan of the well-known Cajun singer, Zacharie Richard. But I must admit I've never heard about D.L. Ménard. No more now. Thanks to you, Cajunlaw.

Glad you approve, and glad I can help.

Wow! This cajun music is really great. The guy has one hell of an accent. and I thought tom boonen was hard to undrstand?!

Nice translation too cortom. You should put this on your blog!

Wow! thanks - should have warned you on some colloquialism's
Mon Neg - has nothing to do with race. It is a term of endearment based on the fairly dark skin of the many Cajuns. Almost meaning of "my good friend". There was even a a T' Neg's Pool Hall in St Martinville at one time with no question of it being a racial slur.
In fact the famous Cajun dance hall, Mulate's in Breaux Bridge was named after the founder whose nick name was Mulate - short for Mulatto - similar reference to dark skin.
The back door reference I have felt was that he had to sneak home (and everywhere else) out of shame for his actions.
Your translation is great
Merci Beaucoup
Cajunlaw
(My French is, unfortunately, not good enough to get all of the words - a shame that I have lost that part of my background)

Originally Posted by birdman

You should put this on your blog!

I just might do so! I'm listening to it now (on YouTube) and I like it a lot.

Just to make the most of this Cajun mood, and for those interested, there's a great song which tells much more on the historic and tragic fate of Cajuns/Acadians.

The song evoke also how some Acadians had made their way to Louisiana (USA) during the deportation.

It's written and sung by another Cajun, Zachary Richard. I find this song instructive, evocative and very moving. It should be a Acadia/Cajun national anthem.


Link to a video : le : http://youtube.com/watch?v=3_AescSs6GA

Here's the french lyrics follwed by a english translation


RÉVEILLE by Zachary Richard
____________________________

Réveille, réveille,
C’est les goddams qui viennent, (goddams = British soldiers)
Brûler la récolte.
Réveille, réveille,
Hommes acadiens,
Pour sauver le village.

Mon grand-grand-grand père
Est venu de la Bretagne,
Le sang de ma famille
Est mouillé l’Acadie.
Et là les maudits viennent
Nous chasser comme des bêtes,
Détruire les familles,
Nous jeter tous au vent.


Réveille, réveille,
C’est les goddams qui viennent,
Brûler la récolte.
Réveille, réveille,
Hommes acadiens,
Pour sauver le village.


J’ai vu mon pauvre père.
Il était fait prisonnier.
Pendant que ma mère, ma chère mère
Elle braillait.
J’ai vu ma belle maison
Était mise aux flammes,
Et moi je suis resté orphelin,
Orphelin de l’Acadie.


Réveille, réveille,
C’est les goddams qui viennent,
Voler la récolte.
Réveille, réveille,
Hommes acadiens,
Pour sauver le village.


J’ai entendu parler
De monter avec Beausoleil.
Pour prendre le fusil
Battre les sacrés maudits.
J’ai entendu parlé
D’aller dans la Louisianne
Pour trouver de la bonne paix
Là-bas dans la Louisianne.


Réveille, réveille,
C’est les goddams qui viennent,
Voler la récolte.
Réveille, réveille,
Hommes acadiens,
Pour sauver le village.
Réveille, réveille,
C’est les goddams qui viennent,
Voler les enfants.
Réveille, réveille,
Hommes acadiens,
Pour sauver l’héritage,
Pour sauver l’héritage,
Pour sauver l’héritage.

__________________________________
REVEILLE - english lyrics (unknown translator)
_______________

Réveille, awake,
The Goddams are coming, (Goddams means British soldiers)
To steal the harvest.
Réveille, awake,
Acadians,
To save the village.

My great great great grandfather,
Came from Brittany,
The blood of my family
Has nourished Acadie.
And now the accursed ones come,
Chasing us like cattle,
Destroying the families,
Throwing us to the wind.

(refrain)

I saw my father
Made prisoner,
While my dear mother
Could not stop from crying.
I saw our beautiful home
Put to the torch,
And I have become an orphan,
An orphan of l’Acadie.

(refrain)

I have heard tell
Of going with Beausoleil
To take up arms
And fight the accursed ones,
I have heard tell
Of going to Louisiane,
To find peace
There in Louisiane.

Réveille, awake,
The Goddams are coming,
To steal the children
Réveille, awake,
Acadians,
To save our heritage.

_________

(not to confuse anybody : Zachary Richard is not just a Cajun folk singer. He's a brilliant french songwriter and a poet. He had many hits in french Canada and France. He's also strongly implied in the preservation of french heritage and language in Louisiana, USA).


.

Touching song. Thanks crisotf.
But I am still confused about the two terms Acadian and Cajun.

Thanks crisotf for the translation of that song.
For Jeff you might was to look at the Cajun entry in Wikidpeia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajun

I am of Cajun descent - Mouton - we trace back to Jean Mouton who was born in Port Royal, Acadie (British Occupied Nova Scotia). His descendants include Governors, Lt Governors, US Senators, Judges, etc..

Also for another great song - Je Passe Devant ta Porte - my father's favorite
http://youtube.com/watch?v=iaQkIr5qZGc&feature=related

J'ai passé devant ta porte.
J'ai crié "bye-bye" la belle.
'Y a personne qui m'a repondu!
O yé yé, mon coeur fait mal!

Moi, je m'ai mis à bien observer.
Moi, j'ai vu des chandelles allumé.
'Y a qu'quechose disait j'aurait pleuré.
O yé yé, mon coeur fait mal!

Very sad song - better in French - I have always loved the last line - mon coeur fait mal...

Oh. almost forgot to mention - the Festival International is next week in Lafayette - http://festivalinternational.com/site.php
One can listen to a lot of it on
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/krvs/ppr/index.shtml
the local university PBS station on the web.

Thanks cajunlaw.
Do your parents still speak french at home ?

Both of my parents are deceased. My father spoke Cajun French as did my aunt. My mother was a "des American" (English and Sicilian heritage) so did not speak French. My mother in law and father in law both spoke Cajun French, in fact my wife's maternal grandmother only spoke Cajun French.
My daughter speaks French fluently - but the Parisian variety. She lived in France and currently teaches French in high school.
My French (Cajun and Parisian) is terrible - just never got into a situation in which it was needed so never got it imprinted into my mind. I found, on a trip to Paris, that I could transact business (buy pain cholocate and baugettes in the morning) but not much more
There is a local organization that has been very successful in keeping and expanding the local language
http://codofil.org/
Cajunlaw

Thank you very much for these interesting details, cajunlaw.
And for the link. I'm practising my cajun french by listening to Radio Codofil.

First, I'd note there's nothing really mysterious about the "back door." The inference is that the singer was out carousing all night, and so as the sun came up the next day he had to sneak into the house through the back door so as not to be discovered; I think most Cajuns would be mystified by Anglo attempts to read something sexual into it.

Second, I'd make a few grammatical changes to the texts proposed by other contributors. Of course, Cajun lyrics tend to be fluid depending on the singer, so nothing is written in stone, but this seems to be how D.L. sings it (note that some bands substitute the word "dans" for "dedans" in the last line of each stanza):

Moi et ma belle on avait été au bal
On a passé dans tous les honky tonks
S'en a revenu lendemain matin
Le jour était apres s'casser
J'ai passé dedans la porte d'en arrière.

Apres midi moi [not mois] j'étais au village
Et j'm'ai saoulé que j'pouvais plus marcher
Ils m'ont ramené back à la maison
Il y avait de la compagnie, c'était du monde étranger
J'ai passé dedans la porte d'en arrière.

Mon vieux père un soir quand j'arrivais
Il a essayé de changer mon idée
J'ai pas écouté, moi j'avais trop la tête dur
"Un jour à venir, mon neg', tu vas avoir d'regret
T'as pas dedans la porte d'en arrière."

J'ai eu un tas d'amis quand j'avais de l'argent
Asteur j'ai plus d'argent, mais ils voulont plus me voir
J'etais en village, et moi j'm'ai mis dans tracas
La loi m'a ramassé, moi j'suis parti dans la prison,
On va passé dans [not dedans] la porte d'en arrière.

I believe the correct phrase in both standard and Cajun French is "porte en arrière," although it often appears in print as "d'en." D.L. and other Cajun singers run the first two words together, making the "t" sound like "d."

Originally Posted by oplater

I believe the correct phrase in both standard and Cajun French is "porte en arrière," although it often appears in print as "d'en." D.L. and other Cajun singers run the first two words together, making the "t" sound like "d."

You're right. The expression "la porte D'EN arrière" (or the opposite "la porte D'EN avant") is NOT correct "standard" written french.

But I must say that I've never heard "la porte EN arrière" (nor "porte EN avant") as you mentionned. The correct french expression is simply "la porte arrière" ("la porte avant").

However the expression "la porte D'EN arrière" or "porte D'EN avant" is a common old "spoken" french expression in Acadia and in Canada(Quebec) where I live). My old parents still say it. So I am not surprised to heard "la porte D'EN arrière" in a Cajun song.

By the way, in the Menard's song, "dedans" used in the expression "J'ai passé DEDANS la porte d'en arrière" is a typical Cajun expression. The correct spoken or written expression is "J'ai passé PAR la porte d'en arrière". The phrase with "DEDANS" in it sounds funny in standard french.