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Bilingual Bedtime/French songs
RondeCircle dance

Ah ! mon beau château.

The melody of Ah ! mon beau château on a staff, as engraved in the book
Download the tune

The melody as written on the staff, so you can learn the tune before you sing.

Verse 1

  1. Ah ! mon beau château, Ma tant’ tire lire lire,ah mohn boh shah-toh, mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh lee-ruh,Ah, my beautiful castle, ma tant' tire lire lire,
  2. Ah ! mon beau château, Ma tant’ tire lire lo.ah mohn boh shah-toh, mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh loh.Ah, my beautiful castle, ma tant' tire lire lo.

Verse 2

  1. Le nôtre est plus beau, Ma tant’ tire lire lire,luh noh-truh eh plew boh, mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh lee-ruh,Ours is more beautiful, ma tant' tire lire lire,
  2. Le nôtre est plus beau, Ma tant’ tire lire lo.luh noh-truh eh plew boh, mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh loh.Ours is more beautiful, ma tant' tire lire lo.

Verse 3

  1. Nous le détruirons, Ma tant’ tire lire lire,noo luh day-trwee-rohn, mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh lee-ruh,We will tear it down, ma tant' tire lire lire,
  2. Nous le détruirons, Ma tant’ tire lire lo.noo luh day-trwee-rohn, mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh loh.We will tear it down, ma tant' tire lire lo.

Verse 4

  1. Nous paierons rançon, Ma tant’ tire lire lire,noo peh-rohn rahn-sohn, mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh lee-ruh,We will pay a ransom, ma tant' tire lire lire,
  2. Nous paierons rançon, Ma tant’ tire lire lo.noo peh-rohn rahn-sohn, mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh loh.We will pay a ransom, ma tant' tire lire lo.

Verse 5

  1. Vos fill’s demandons, Ma tant’ tire lire lire,voh feey duh-mahn-dohn, mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh lee-ruh,We ask for your daughters, ma tant' tire lire lire,
  2. Vos fill’s demandons, Ma tant’ tire lire lo.voh feey duh-mahn-dohn, mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh loh.We ask for your daughters, ma tant' tire lire lo.

Verse 6

  1. Laquell’ prendrez-vous ? Ma tant’ tire lire lire,lah-kehl prahn-dray voo ? mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh lee-ruh,Which one will you take? ma tant' tire lire lire,
  2. Laquell’ prendrez-vous ? Ma tant’ tire lire lo.lah-kehl prahn-dray voo ? mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh loh.Which one will you take? ma tant' tire lire lo.

Verse 7

  1. Celle que voici, Ma tant’ tire lire lire,sehl kuh vwah-see, mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh lee-ruh,This one right here, ma tant' tire lire lire,
  2. Celle que voici, Ma tant’ tire lire lo.sehl kuh vwah-see, mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh loh.This one right here, ma tant' tire lire lo.

Verse 8

  1. Que lui donn’rez-vous ? Ma tant’ tire lire lire,kuh lwee dohn-ray voo ? mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh lee-ruh,What will you give her? ma tant' tire lire lire,
  2. Que lui donn’rez-vous ? Ma tant’ tire lire lo.kuh lwee dohn-ray voo ? mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh loh.What will you give her? ma tant' tire lire lo.

Verse 9

  1. De jolis bijoux, Ma tant’ tire lire lire,duh zhoh-lee bee-zhoo, mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh lee-ruh,Pretty jewels, ma tant' tire lire lire,
  2. De jolis bijoux, Ma tant’ tire lire lo.duh zhoh-lee bee-zhoo, mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh loh.Pretty jewels, ma tant' tire lire lo.

Verse 10

  1. Nous en voulons bien, Ma tant’ tire lire lire,noo-zahn voo-lohn byehn, mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh lee-ruh,We are happy with that, ma tant' tire lire lire,
  2. Nous en voulons bien, Ma tant’ tire lire lo.noo-zahn voo-lohn byehn, mah tahnt tee-ruh lee-ruh loh.We are happy with that, ma tant' tire lire lo.

About this song

A ronde printed in Weckerlin's 1870 collection: two rings of children hold hands, turn, and call back and forth like rival castles. Ma tant' tire lire lire is nonsense, sung for its sound alone. At the fifth verse a child crosses from the second ring to the first; the last verses repeat until that ring is empty.

Where it comes from

The words: Jean-Baptiste Weckerlin, Chansons et rondes enfantines (Garnier, 1870).

From the book

Bilingual Bedtime

Thirty-Five French Songs for Children

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