Translation of the song Els tres tambors artist Catalan Folk
Els tres tambors
The Three Drummers
Si n'eren tres tambors;
Once upon a time, there were three drummers;
venien de la guerra
They were coming back from war
i, el més petit de tots,
And the youngest among them
duia un ram de roselles.
Was carrying a little bouquet of poppy blossoms.
Ram, ram, ram, pataplam!
Rom, ro-po-pom-pom!
Duia un ram de roselles.
He was carrying a little bouquet of poppy blossoms.
La filla del bon rei
The good king's daughter
ja en surt, a la finestra:
Comes out to her window:
- «Tambor, mon bon tambor,
- Drummer, my kind drummer,
doneu-me una rosella!»
Give me a poppy blossom!
Ram, ram, ram pataplam!
Rom, ro-po-pom-pom!
«Doneu-me una rosella!»
Give me a poppy blossom!
- «Donzella qui l'haurà
- The damsel who gets it
serà l'esposa meva:
Shall become my wife:
no us donc jo pas el ram
I am not giving you the bouquet
que a vós no us pugui prendre.»
Unless I can marry you.
Ram, ram, ram pataplam!
Rom, ro-po-pom-pom!
«Que a vós no us pugui prendre.»
Unless I can marry you
-«M'haureu de demanar
- You will have to ask my father and mother
al peire i a la meire;
For my hand in marriage;
Si ells m'us voldran donar,
If they want me to marry you,
per mi res no es pot perdre.»
Everything's fine, as far as I'm concerned
Ram, ram, ra, pataplam!
Rom, ro-po-pom-pom!
«Per mi res no es pot perdre.»
Everything's fine, as far as I'm concerned
El tambor se'n va anar
So, the drummer went
amb el rei i amb la reina.
To find the king and his queen:
- «Déu vos guard, rei francès:
- May God keep you, King of France:
pretenc vostra filleta!»
I want to marry your dear daughter!
Ram, ram, ram pataplam!
Rom, ro-po-pom-pom!
«Pretenc vostra filleta!»
I want to marry your dear daughter!
- «Eixiu d'ací, tambor,
- Get you gone, drummer,
abans no us faci pendre!»
Before I have you arrested!
- «No em fareu pendre vós,
- You shall not arrest me,
ni cap d'aquesta terra»
And neither will anyone from this land
Ram, ram, ram pataplam!
Rom, ro-po-pom-pom!
«Ni cap d'aquesta terra»
And neither will anyone from this land
- «Car'llà dins mon país
- For there, in my country,
hi tinc gent que em defensa.»
There are people who will defend me!
- «Digues, digues, tambor:
- Tell me, oh drummer:
qui n'és, doncs, el teu peire?»
Who is, then, your father?
Ram, ram, ram pataplam!
Rom, ro-po-pom-pom!
«Qui n'és, doncs, el teu peire?»
Who is, then, your father?
- «El meu peire és el rei
- My father is the king
de tota l'Anglaterra.»
Of all of England
- «Veniu, veniu tambor,
- Come forth, come forth, oh drummer,
que us daré ma filleta!»
For you shall have my daughter!
Ram, ram, ram pataplam!
Rom, ro-po-pom-pom!
«Que us daré ma filleta!»
For you shall have my daughter!
- «No en sóc pas grat, de vós,
- I do not like you at all,
ni pas en sóc grat d'ella:
And I don't like your daughter, either:
que enllà dins mon país
For there, in my homeland,
se'n veuen de pus belles!»
Much more beautiful girls can be found!
Ram, ram, ram pataplam!
Rom, ro-po-pom-pom!
«Se'n veuen de pus belles!»
Much more beautiful girls can be found!