Ah dis-moi donc bergère

Ah dis-moi donc bergère is a traditional French song.

About the song

The song has a traditional melody that tells the story of a hunter who asks a shepherdess where the animals are that he would like to hunt.

He asks her, among other things, how many sheep she has, if the pond is deep, where the path behind it goes, but especially at the end if she is not afraid of the wolf.

And she answers him: "And by my faith, sir, no more of the wolf than of you".

The chorus (or each end of the verse) is based on the expression:

Et tra lala déridérette / Et tra déronla

Bergères and Shepherdesses

The song is one of the nursery rhymes featuring shepherdesses:

• Il était une bergère
• Il pleut, il pleut, bergère
• Blanc blanc belle rose

Ah dis-moi donc bergère

Lyrics, music, free download... let's learn more about the popular song:

The lyrics in French

The original song of Ah dis-moi donc bergère has 6 verses.

Translation of the lyrics into English

Here is an approximative translation into English:

Verse 1

Ah! Tell me, shepherdess
Whose sheep are these?
By my faith Sir
To those who guard them
And tra la la déridérette
And tra déronla

Verse 2

Ah! Tell me, shepherdess
How many sheep do you have?
And by my faith, sir
I've got to count them
And tra la la déridérette
And tra déronla

Verse 3

Ah! Tell me, shepherdess
Is the pond deep?
And by my faith, sir
It goes down to the bottom
And tra la la déridérette
And tra déronla

Verse 4

Ah! Tell me, shepherdess
Which way does this path go?
And by my faith, sir
He's not moving from there!
And tra la la déridérette
And tra déronla

Verse 5

Ah! Tell me, shepherdess
Is the fish good?
And by my faith, sir
For those who eat it
And tra la la déridérette
And tra déronla

Verse 6

Ah! Tell me, shepherdess
Are you not afraid of the wolf?
And by my faith, Sir
No more of the wolf than of you!
And tra la la déridérette
And tra déronla