Court Gossip

This medley contains a group of songs set to the jaunty popular tune “Il a battu son petit frère”, evoking the gossip and double standards of court and salon life. 

The medley begins with a piece about how the King has banned the singer from performing the very song she is singing, “Lanturlu”, before moving on to the songs below:

La galante occupation

De caqueter dans les ruelles,

Fera de la confusion,

La galante occupation,

La maudite tradition

N’enseignera plus aux femelles

La galante occupation

De caqueter dans les ruelles.

[The saucy occupation of gossiping in the salons will cause confusion, the saucy occupation, the accursed tradition will no longer teach women the saucy occupation of gossiping in the salons.]

Cette pudique honnesteté,

Qui faisoit l’honneur de nos meres

Est en cour un nom inventé,

Cette pudique honnesteté

L’on y dit qu’avec la beauté

C’est un songe plein de chimeres,

Cette pudique honnesteté.

[This bashful restraint which used to preserve the honour of our mothers is an invented word in the world of the court, this bashful restraint is said to be a complete fabrication where beauty is concerned, this bashful restraint.]

Ce qu’on nomme un crime à Paris,

En Cour n’est que bagatelle;

Les favoris y sont permis;

Ce qu’on nomme un crime à Paris,

En Cour si l’on se fait maris

Jamais on n’epouse pucelle.

Ce qu’on nomme un crime à Paris,

En Cour n’est que bagatelle.

[What is called a crime in Paris is but a trifle in Court; Favourites are allowed there; What is called a crime in Paris, If in Court you become a husband, Never marry a virgin. What is called a crime in Paris, Is but a trifle in Court.]

Now listen to the song, sung by Katie Bray and performed by Badinage by clicking here.

To follow Jonathan Rees’s arrangement of the song La Gallante Occupation, click here.