Aux marches du palais

Aux marches du palais is a traditional French ballad dating from the 18th century. The story of the song tells of the love affair of one of the prettiest girls in the kingdom with a shoemaker. The latter is going to fit the girl with a beautiful shoe, like in Cinderella.

The story of the song

Aux marches du palais is one of the oldest and best known songs in the children's repertoire.

As was customary in the 17th and 18th centuries, the melody is a bit draggy with a hint of melancholy, but it is still very pleasant. 

The authors of this ballad are anonymous and it is thought to date from the 18th century.

However, there is a song with a similar theme, 'La Flamande', published by Chardavoine as early as 1615.

A popular song with many versions

Its popularity began in the eighteenth century and its circulation was widespread. It spread throughout France, from Artois to Languedoc and from Champagne to the Channel Islands.

From 1732 to 1790, more than 40 different versions are attested in the different French provinces, such as "Dedans la cour du Roi" and "La fille du laboureux".

What story does the song tell?

The song tells the story of a pretty girl who stands near the steps of the palace. She is not a princess because they are inside the palace.

This common girl is so pretty that her beauty almost makes her a princess.

Her beauty attracts many suitors and it is a humble shoemaker that she chooses. He puts a beautiful shoe on her, evoking the Cinderella tale.

The huge bed mentioned in the song would have made people dream because at the time, beds were narrow and short.

However, the song contains a double meaning that adults will understand (this is what led to its great popularity in the 18th century).

Which palace are we talking about?

Popular imagery (especially among children) illustrates the song with steps in front of a palace.

However, contrary to this received idea, it is neither a staircase nor a castle.

"Marches" refers to a border region on the edge of the kingdom of France (March, in English).

This territory was entrusted to a "marquis" (marquess) responsible for its military defence.

Palais or Pallet?

The "Palais" here is a distortion of the word Pallet, which gives the song a royal feel that it does not have.

Le Pallet is a little-known village between Nantes and Clisson, whose name comes from the Latin "palatium".

The "Marche du Pallet", also called the "Marche de Bretagne", is a region between Poitou, Anjou and lower Brittany, showing the song's rural origin.

The story is almost the same as in the other two versions: a girl to be married, too many lovers, a shoemaker... But here, the lovers get straight to the point: they go to bed together!

The steps of the market place

Moreover, in the song, the word "palace" may not refer to a castle but to its Italian origin "palazzo" which means a place of trade. So, Aux marches du palais can be interpreted as the steps of the market place.

Aux marches du palais

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

The lyrics in French

The original song of Aux marches du palais has 10 verses.

Translation of the lyrics into English

Here is an approximative translation into English:

Verse 1

On the steps of the palace
On the steps of the palace
There's such a beautiful girl, lon la
There's such a beautiful girl

Verse 2

She has so many lovers
She's got so many lovers
That she doesn't know which one to take, lon la
She doesn't know which one to take

Verse 3

He's a little shoemaker
It's a little shoemaker
He's got the preference, lon la
He's got the preference, he's got the preference

Verse 4

And it's by putting it on
And it was while putting on her shoes
He asked for it, lon la
That he asked for it

Verse 5

The beautiful one if you wanted
The beautiful one if you wanted
We'd sleep together, lon la
We'd sleep together

Verse 6

In a big square bed
In a big square bed
Covered with white cloth, lon la
Covered with white cloth

Verse 7

At the four corners of the bed
At the four corners of the bed
Four bunches of periwinkle, lon la
Four bunches of periwinkle

Verse 8

In the middle of the bed
In the middle of the bed
The river is deep, lon la
The river is deep

Verse 9

All the king's horses
All the king's horses
Could drink from it together, lon la
Could drink from it together

Verse 10

And we'd sleep there
And we'd sleep there
Till the end of the world, lon la
Until the end of the world