Musical Map of Newfoundland and Labrador

This song is from the singing of Emile Benoit (1913-1992), the renowned fiddler, composer, and storyteller from Black Duck Brook, a small French-speaking community on Western Newfoundland's Port-au-Port Peninsula. The song, sometimes known as Vive la Rose et le Lilas, is an 18th century French ballad that Emile adapted and interpreted in his own inimitable way. The melody is very freely sung, as are the lyrics, which differ from other traditional versions quite significantly. For comparison purposes I have included a traditional French version from the singing of Guy Béart, as transcribed by Isabelle Peere. Emile learned the song from a recording given to him by Ms. Peere, a folklorist from Belgium. She notes "Emile transformed a jilted sweetheart's gay and light song mocking her lover's fickleness (the female singer announces that, while his second love might well die soon, she won't take him back to her!) into a melancholy lover's lament for the death of his sweetheart, while retaining some of the original words!"

Newfoundland filmmaker Bruce Alcock wrote and directed a film called Vive la Rose (NFB, 2008) based on Emile's version of the song, using it as the soundtrack. In 2004 Robert Chafe was commissioned to write a play about Emile Benoit called From the Heart – he revised it in 2008 and re-named it Vive la Rose.

VIVE LA ROSE - Traditional

Mon vain amant m’ délaisse, on dit, "Oh, vive la rose."
Mon vain amant- m’ délaisse, on dit, "Oh, vive la rose."
J'irai peut-être pas ce soir, vive la rose dans les villages.
J'irai peut-être pas, vive la rose dans les villages.

Elle va s'en voir un autre, on dit, "Oh, vive la rose."
Elle va s'en voir un autre, on dit, "Oh, vive la rose."
Je le sais qu'elle reviendra, vive la rose dans les villages.
Je le sais qu'elle reviendra, vive la rose dans les villages.

On dit qu'elle est très belle, on dit, "Oh, vive la rose."
On dit qu'elle est très belle, on dit, "Oh, vive la rose."
Mais il y a plus belle que moi, vive la rose dans les villages.
Mais il y a plus belle que moi, vive la rose dans les villages.

On dit qu'elle est malade, on dit, "Oh, vive la rose."
On dit qu'elle est malade, on dit, "Oh, vive la rose."
Peut-être elle en mourra, vive la rose dans les villages.
Peut-être elle en mourra, vive la rose dans les villages.

Oh si elle meurt dimanche, on dit, "Oh, vive la rose."
Oh si elle meurt dimanche, on dit, "Oh, vive la rose."
Lundi on l'enterrera, vive la rose dans les villages.
Lundi on l'enterrera, vive la rose dans les villages.

Mardi je viendrai voir, on dit, "Oh, vive la rose."
Mardi je viendrai voir, on dit, "Oh, vive la rose."
Mais moi je n'en douterai pas, vive la rose dans les villages.
Mais moi je n'en douterai pas, vive la rose dans les villages.