Marie Madeleine [English translation]

Maria Magdalena was not yet fifteen

and still she had no less than four lovers.

One day, her father asked her

"My daughter, would you get married?

Oh, pick the prince, oh pick the king,

oh, pick whomever you like"

"Oh, neither prince nor king

would I like to marry, father"

The lass put on her apron

and walked across the town.

On her way she met

a mariner, a handsome one.

"Oh, pick the prince, oh pick the king,

oh, pick whomever you like"

"Oh, neither prince nor king

would I like to marry, father"

"Oh mariner, oh handsome one

would you carry me across1 the sea?"

"Ye pretty lass, climb behind me,

I'll carry you across the sea"

1. Not quite sure "passer" actually means "carry across" in this context.

In modern French it sounds like "hand over", which makes little sense here.

I suppose it's an old usage of the word that faded from modern French. If there is an idiomatic meaning, I don't know it.

• Artist:Laïs