Tous les Bourgeois de Châtres ("All the People of Châtres") is a traditional French Christmas carol dating to the 16th century. It speaks of the joy felt at the birth of Our Savior, describing the Angels of light singing, the shepherds traveling in haste across a mountain, people gathering for supper, and the parish priest leading the schoolboys in song.
Tous les Bourgeois de Châtres is here interpreted by the early music ensemble Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien and the Maîtrise de Radio France.
Listen to Tous les Bourgeois de Châtres
Lyrics:
French lyrics
1. Tous les bourgeois de Châtres
Et ceux de Montléry
Menez tout’ grande joye
Cette journée icy
Qui naquit Jesus Christ
De la Vierge Marie
Où le bœuf & l’ânon, don, don,
Entre lesquels coucha, la, la,
En une bergerie.
2. Des Anges de lumière
Ont chanté divers tons
Aux bergers & bergères
De cette région,
Qui gardoient leurs moutons
Paissant sur la prairie,
Disant que le Mignon, don, don,
Estoit né prés de là, là, là,
Jesus, le fruit de vie.
3. Ils prennent leurs houlettes
Avec empressement,
Leurs hautbois, leurs musettes
Et s’en vont promptement
Tout droit à Saint-Clément,
À travers la montagne,
Étant tous réjouis, ravis
D’aller voir cet Enfant naissant
Joseph, et sa Compagne.
4. Lorsqu’on vidait la coupe
Un nommé des Aveaux
Faisoit de bonne soupe
Avec force naveaux!
Les lapins et perdreaux
Alouettes rôties,
Canards et cormorans friands,
Gillot Barbaut porta, la, la,
À Joseph et Marie.
5. Messire Jean Vicaire
De l’église d’Églis
Fit porter pour mieux braire
Du vin de son logis;
Messieurs les écoliers
Toute cette nuitée
Se sont mis à crier, chanter
Do, ré, mi, fa, sol, la, la, la
À gorge déployée.
English translation:
1. All the people of Châtres
And those of Montléry
Are rejoicing greatly
On this very day
When Jesus Christ was born
Of the Virgin Mary
Next to the ox and the ass (dong, dong)
Between whom He laid (la, la)
In a stable.
2. Angels of light
Sang many songs
To the shepherds and shepherdesses
In the region,
Who kept their sheep
Grazing on the meadow,
They told them that the little Child (dong, dong)
Had been born nearby (la, la, la)
Jesus, the fruit of life.
3. They took their shepherd’s crooks
With haste,
Their oboes, their bagpipes
And they went promptly
Straight to Saint-Clément
Across the mountain,
Rejoicing, in delight
To go to see that newborn Babe,
Joseph, and his Spouse.
4. While they were drinking their cups
One of them, called des Aveaux,
Made a good soup
With a lot of turnips!
Rabbits and partridges
Roasted larks,
Pies of duck and cormorant,
Gillot Barbaut carried them (la, la)
To Joseph and Mary.
5. Father John, the parish priest
Of the church of Églis
Brought, in order to bawl louder,
Wine from his house:
The schoolboys
The whole night through
Cried out and sang:
‘Do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, la, la’
With full-throated voice.
