Tri Martolod
Tri Martolod ("Three sailors" in Breton) or Tri Martolod Yaouank ("Three young sailors"), is a traditional Breton song which dates to the 18th century in Lower Brittany. It was made famous by the interpretation, the arrangement and the recordings made by the Breton harpist Alan Stivell, in the 1970s.
The lyrics tell the story of three young sailors who embark for Newfoundland and the history quickly settles into a romantic dialogue. The music is a round in three steps typical of the South Cornouaille and common in the Breton coastal areas.
Performers
- Zaïg Monjarret (An tri-ugent martolod)
- Alan Stivell (live À l'Olympia in 1972, single, Again in 1993)
- Tri Yann (Tri Yann an Naoned, 1972)
- Deep Forest (Dao Dezi, 1994)
- Yann-Fañch Kemener (with Didier Squiban, 1995)
- Micamac (Breton folk band, album Froggy Dew, 1999)
- Shannon (Polish band, 2000)
- Gérard Jaffrès (Belgian singer, album Viens dans ma maison, 2003)
- Claire Pelletier (Quebec singer, En concert au St-Denis, 2003)
- Nolwenn Leroy (album Bretonne, 2010)
- Les Marins d'Iroise (2011)
- Santiano (German band, 2011)
- Dunkelschön (German band, album Zauberwort, 2011)
- Alexandrov Ensemble (2012)
- Faitissa (album Terra aviatica, 2014)
Other songs
Other songs on the same musical air :
- Danish band Kræn Bysted's "Et folk, Et menneske"(One People, One man) Danish lyrics by Lars Lilholt (1979)
- French band Manau, La Tribu de Dana ("Tuatha Dé Danann", about a Celtic warrior tribe, 1998)
- Polish band Ryczące Shannon (album Ryczące Shannon Project, 2005)
- Russian band Nachalo Veka (НАЧАЛО ВЕКА) feat. harpist Hellawes (Хелависа), "I Waited You" ("Тебя Ждала") (single "Tebya Jdala" 2008, album "Formy Vremeny" 2010)
- Hungarian band Arany Zoltán (2009)
- Irish singer Méav Ní Mhaolchatha sings this song in English as titled "Once You Were My Lover". (album The Calling, 2013)
- Olli & the Bollywood Orchestra, Teen Aazaad Naavik (album Olli goes to Bollywood, 2013)
- Swiss band Eluveitie, Inis Mona (album Slania, about the Gallish Wars and related to De Bello Gallica by Julius Caesar, 2008) Additionally, Celtos (album Origins, focusing on Gaulish folklore, 2014)
- Brazilian band Terra Celta, "O Quadrado" (album Folkatrua, 2010)
- Montenegrin song Ovo je naša zemlja, Sergej Ćetković & Danijel Popović (2009)
Lyrics
Tri martolod yaouank... la la la... Tri martolod yaouank i vonet da veajiñ E vonet da veajiñ, gê! E vonet da veajiñ Gant 'n avel bet kaset... la la la... Gant 'n avel bet kaset betek an Douar Nevez Beteg an Douar Nevez, gê! Beteg an Douar Nevez E-kichen mein ar veilh... la la la... E-kichen mein ar veilh o deus mouilhet o eorioù O deus mouilhet o eorioù, gê! O deus mouilhet o eorioù Hag e-barzh ar veilh-se... la la la... Hag e-barzh ar veilh-se e oa ur servijourez E oa ur servijourez, gê! E oa ur servijourez Hag e c'houlenn ganin... la la la... Hag e c'houlenn ganin pelec'h 'n eus graet konesañs Pelec'h 'n eus graet konesañs, gê! Pelec'h 'n eus graet konesañs E Naoned er marc'had... la la la... E Naoned er marc'had hor boa choazet ur walenn |
Three young sailors... la la la… Three young sailors went traveling Went traveling! Went traveling And the wind pushed them… la la la... The wind pushed them to Newfoundland All the way to Newfoundland! All the way to Newfoundland Next to the windmill stone… la la la... Next to the windmill stone, they dropped anchor They dropped anchor! They dropped anchor And in that windmill… la la la... And in that windmill was a servant girl There was a servant girl! There was a servant girl And she asked me… la la la... And she asked me where we met Where have we met before? Where have we met before In Nantes at the market… la la la... In Nantes at the market, we chose a ring |