<BGSOUND src="evangeln.mid" LOOP="2">LA BONNE CHANSON


 
TITLE EVANGELINE
HISTORY Evangeline is the legendary folk heroine of Acadia. The legend was created in 1847 (92 years after the Great Eviction) by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in one of his greatest works: a most beautiful poem titled "Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie". Inspired by the courage of the Acadian people especially during the generations of the "Le Grand Derangement/The Great Eviction", Longfellow used Evangeline to represent the character of the Acadian people and their experience in Acadia. This is Evangeline's song.
INTERPRETATION In the song, Evangeline reflects on her life. In the first verse, she remembers that in the 'spring of her life' she had fully believed the dream of all youth for love, peace and happiness. The Acadian youth felt far away from danger and sheltered from all harm. In the second verse, she remembers her days as a young adult in Grand-Pre with her dearest friend, Gabriel and surrounded by a loving family and community. In the third verse, Evangeline reflects on the plans that the parents and grandparents were making as they watched their children growing, marrying and starting their new lives. But all was suddenly interrupted by an enemy who 
brought deep sorrow and hardship upon the Acadian families. In the final verse, Evangeline thinks of her days in a strange land, the prey of an angry destiny which robbed her of her friends, her family and her happiness. She fears that she will never again see her childhood friend, Gabriel to whom she had vowed her love. But true to the Acadian character, in her heart, she maintains a hope that she will see him again in a better place.
LYRICS Je l'a-vais cru ce re-ve du jeune a-ge,
Qui sou-ri-ant m'an-non-cait le bon-heur,
Et con-fi-ante en cet heu-reux pre-sag-e,
Mes jeu-nes ans s'e-cou-laient sans dou-leur.
Il est si doux, au prin-temps de la vi-e
D'ai-mer d'a-mour les a-mis de son coeur,
De vivre heu-reux au sein de la Pa-tri-e,
Loin du dan-ger, a l'a-bri - du mal-heur,
Loin du dan-ger, a l'a-bri du mal-heur.

Refrain:
E-van-ge-li-ne, E-van-ge-li-ne,
Tout chant i-ci ton no-ble-nom,
Dans le val-lon, sur la col-ine,
L'e-cho re-pete et nous re-pond:
E-van-ge-line, E-van-ge-line.

Qu'ils e-taient beaux, ces jours de notre en-fance,
Cher Ga-bri-el, au pa-ys de Grand-Pre,
Car l'a reg-naient la paix et l'in-no-cence,
Le tendre a-mour et la franche gai-te;
Qu'ils e-taient doux, le soir sous la char-mille,
Les en-tre-tiens du vill-age ass-em-ble!
Comme on s'aim-ait! Quelle aim-able fam-ille
On y for-mait sous ce ciel a-dor-e,
On y for-mait sous ce ciel a-dor-e.

Refrain

Je l'a-vais cru ce re-ve du jeune a-ge,
Qui sou-ri-ant m'an-non-cait le bon-heur,
Et con-fi-ante en cet heu-reux pre-sag-e,
Mes jeu-nes ans s'e-cou-laient sans dou-leur.
Il est si doux, au prin-temps de la vie
D'ai-mer d'a-mour les a-mis de son coeur,
De vivre heu-reux au sein de la Pa-tri-e,
Loin du dan-ger, a l'a-bri - du mal-heur,
Loin du dan-ger, a l'a-bri du mal-heur.

Refrain

La les an-ciens, de-vis-ant du me-nag-e,
A-vec a-mour con-temp-laient leurs en-fants
Qui re-veil-laient les e-chos du vill-age
Par leurs re-frains et leurs a-mu-se-ments.
La vie a-lors cou-lait douce et pais-ible
Au vieux Grand-Pre, dans not-re cher pa-ys
Lors-que sou-dain, notre enn-em-i terr-ibl-e
Nous ab-reuv-a de mal-heurs in-ou-is,
Nous ab-reuv-a de mal-heurs in-ou-is.

Refrain

He-las! de-puis sur la terre e-trang-er-e,
J'er-re tou-jours en proie a la dou-leur,
Car le des-tin dans sa sombr-e co-ler-e
M'a tout ra-vi, mes a-mis, mon bon-heur,
Je ne vois plus l'-am-i de mon en-fanc-e
A qui j'a-vais jur-e mon tendre a-mour,
Mais dans mon coeur j-e garde l'es-per-anc-e
De le re-voir dans un meil-leur se-jour,
De le re-voir dans un meil-leur se-jour.

Fin.