| Tu es laide, laide, laide
| You're ugly, ugly, ugly
|
| Bonne qu'à remplir des seaux!
| Good for filling buckets!
|
| Tu es laide, laide, laide
| You're ugly, ugly, ugly
|
| Heureusement qu’il y a de l’eau!
| Luckily there is water!
|
| Tous les garçons du village
| All the boys in the village
|
| Me jetaient des cailloux
| threw rocks at me
|
| Quand j’allais au pâturage
| When I went to the pasture
|
| Ou quand je plantais mes choux
| Or when I was planting my cabbage
|
| Ils m’appelaient «la vilaine»
| They called me "the villain"
|
| En me montrant du doigt
| Pointing at me
|
| Et j’en avais grande peine
| And I was very sorry
|
| Lorsqu’ils chantaient derrière moi
| When they were singing behind me
|
| Je courus à la rivière
| I ran to the river
|
| Car je me désolais
| 'Cause I was sorry
|
| Et je vis que dans l’eau claire
| And I only live in clear water
|
| Mon visage pleurait
| my face was crying
|
| Mais survint une hirondelle
| But a swallow came
|
| Qui me dit «Très bientôt
| Who tells me "Very soon
|
| Tu seras enviée des belles
| You will be envied by the beauties
|
| Qui chantent dans ton dos»
| Who sing behind your back
|
| Un beau jour, sur la grand-route
| One fine day on the highway
|
| Quand j’allais au marché
| When I went to the market
|
| Deux garçons ivres sans doute
| Two boys probably drunk
|
| Vinrent à me quereller
| Came to quarrel with me
|
| Mais soudain, le fils du maire
| But suddenly the mayor's son
|
| Qui passait par ici
| Who passed by here
|
| Leur fit mordre la poussière
| Made them bite the dust
|
| Et bien tendrement me dit
| And very tenderly said to me
|
| Tu es belle, belle, belle
| You are beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
|
| Laisse-moi porter ton seau
| let me carry your bucket
|
| Tu es belle, belle, belle
| You are beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
|
| Pourvu qu’il y ait toujours de l’eau | May there always be water |