Pierre Bensusan Lyrics
(Lyrics : Traditional, Music : Pierre Bensusan, English adpat. Sarah Bensusan & John Humbley)
NB: This is an unrecorded version
Our king Renaud came back from war
From his guts streamed floods of gore
His mother on the castle wall
Saw her son approach the hall
- Renaud, Renaud, be merry and gay
A son to you is born this day
- T' is not my son, T' is not my wife
Who would give to me, back my life
Go mother mine, go on ahead
And make for me a fine white bed
There shall I not stay too long
For at midnight I'll be gone
But make it here down below
The mother must hear nothing now
The midnight hour had struck almost
King Renaud gave up the ghost
No sooner had the new day dawned
Than all the servants cried and moaned
No sooner could they break their fast
than all the maids wept to the last
- But tell me Oh sweet Mother mine
Why do our servants weep and pine ?
- Daughter mine, bathing our steeds
They let the finest drown in the reeds
- But why Oh why, sweet Mother mine
Why do our maids so weep and pine ?
- Daughter mine, when our shrouds were being washed
The newest of them all they lost
- But why Oh why, sweet Mother mine
For a shroud thus weep and pine ?
When Renaud returns from war,
We'll make the finest shroud you ever saw
But tell me Oh sweet Mother mine
What is this chant of priests so fine ?
- Daughter mine, it is the procession
going around our mansion
When it was time for her to leave her bed
I'll go to mass , so she said
And as the midday sun shone fair,
She had to choose what clothes to wear
Tell me Oh sweet Mother dear
In which dress should I appear
- Put on the green, put on the grey
But its black that's best today
But tell me Oh sweet Mother mine
What is black supposed to mean ?
- For the woman who from childed rises,
Black is the best of all disguises
When she in the church had entered
A candle was to her presented
Kneeling down came into view
New-turned earth beneath the pew
But tell me Oh sweet Mother dear
Why is the earth all strirred up here ?
- Daughter mine, I cannot hide it
My son Renaud is dead and burried
Renaud, Renaud, who I had wed
So you have gone to join the dead.
Divine Renaud, who once I wed
So you have gone to join the dead
Since our King Renaud is dead
Take these keys and for my treasure head
Take my rings, take every one
Take good care of Renaud's son
Earth open up, earth open wide
Let Renaud reclaim his bride.
The earth did open wonderous wide
the damsel disappeared inside.
