THE BREAD WAS RUNNING OUT
I spent some time this morning looking at video footage of the Belgian singer-songwriter Jeannine Deckers, member of the Dominican Order in Belgium. She acquired widespread fame in 1963 with the release of the Belgian French song "Dominique", which topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and other charts. Owing to confusion over the terms of the recording contract, she was reduced to poverty, and also experienced a crisis of faith, quitting the order, though still remaining a Catholic. She died in a double suicide with her lifelong partner, Annie Pécher, in 1985. A sad, eerie tale, but I do love this cheery little song. Love Susie. x
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bD10bNuJYA
Dominique
Dominica -nique -nique
Dominique -nique -nique
Went just
S'en allait tout simplement
Road, poor and singing
Routier, pauvre et chantant
On all roads, in all places
En tous chemins, en tous lieux
He only talks about the Good Lord
Il ne parle que du Bon Dieu
At the time when John Lackland
À l'époque où Jean Sans Terre
Of England was the king
D'Angleterre était le roi
Dominic our father, fought the Albigensians
Dominique notre père, combattit les albigeois
Some days a heretic
Certains jours un hérétique
Through brambles leads him
Par des ronces le conduit
But our Father Dominic, through his joy, converted him
Mais notre Père Dominique, par sa joie le convertit
Neither camel nor stagecoach
Ni chameau, ni diligence
He travels across Europe on foot
Il parcourt l'Europe à pied
Scandinavia or Provence, in holy poverty
Scandinavie ou Provence, dans la sainte pauvreté
Ignited every school
Enflamma de toute école
Girls and boys full of enthusiasm
Filles et garçons pleins d'ardeur
And to sow the word, invented the Brother-Preachers
Et pour semer la parole, inventa les Frères-Prêcheurs
At Dominique and his brothers
Chez Dominique et ses frères
The bread was running out
Le pain s'en vint à manquer
And two angels appeared, carrying great golden loaves
Et deux anges se présentèrent, portant de grands pains dorés
Dominique lives in a dream
Dominique vit en rêve
Preachers around the world
Les prêcheurs du monde entier
Under the cloak of the Virgin, in large numbers gathered
Sous le manteau de la Vierge, en grand nombre rassemblés
Dominic, my good Father
Dominique, mon bon Père
Keep us simple and cheerful
Garde-nous simples et gais
To announce to our brothers, life and truth
Pour annoncer à nos frères, la vie et la vérité
Dominica -nique -nique
Dominique -nique -nique
Went just
S'en allait tout simplement
Road, poor and singing
Routier, pauvre et chantant
On all roads, in all places
En tous chemins, en tous lieux
He only talks about the Good Lord
Il ne parle que du Bon Dieu
He only talks about the Good Lord
Il ne parle que du Bon Dieu