Cecilia

DESCRIPTION: French. Cecilia's father sends her away; the bargeman asks her to embrace. She refuses; her father would beat her. He asks who would tell her father. "The forest birds," the girl replies. The bargeman regrets that the birds have been taught to talk.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1946 (Berry-FolkSongsOfOldVincennes)
LONG DESCRIPTION: French. Cecilia's father sends her away; the bargeman transporting her falls in love with her and asks her to embrace. She refuses, saying that if she consented her father would beat her. "And who but you would tell him?" asks the bargeman. "The forest birds," the girl replies. "Do birds talk?" asks the bargeman. "Yes, they speak both French and Latin," says the girl. The bargeman regrets that the birds have been taught to talk. Chorus: "Ah-ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah,
KEYWORDS: love sex travel humorous animal bird father
FOUND IN: US(MW) Canada(Que)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Berry-FolkSongsOfOldVincennes, p. 54, "Cecilia" (1 text + translation, 1 tune)
Pottie/Ellis-FolksongsOfTheMaritimes, pp. 60-62, "Cecilia" (1 French text + translation, 1 tune)
ADDITIONAL: Edith Fowke and Richard Johnston, _Folk Songs of Quebec (Chansons de Quebec)_, Waterloo Music Company, 1957, pp. 26-27, "Cecilia" (1 French text plus English translation, 1 tune)
File: BerV054

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