CANADIAN BOAT SONGS. Most early travellers speak of the Songs with which the Canadian voyageurs were accustomed to beguile their labors at the oar, and of the impressions that they left upon the memory. These are now entirely unknown upon this part of the St. Lawrence, but are still heard upon the upper waters of the Ottawa, and in regions not yet invaded by the power of steam. These souvenirs of travel, belong to a period in society that appears to be passing away, and like the popular songs of all countries, that perpetuate their historical legends, and the traditions of ancestors, they are unknown in cities, and are found only in rural life. In this instance, they may be often traced back to a European origin, and are of the kind that tend to keep alive the poetic associations of a gay and happy peasantry, rather than the historical memories of a great and powerful people. In fact there appear to be very little sense, much less a connection of narrative, in any of these popular songs of these people, and the most that can be said of many of them is, that they were a jolly string of words without rhyme or sense, with frequent repetitions, and a joyous refrain. In their incoherent stanzas and their repetitions, they resembled in some respects the slave-songs of the South before the late war, although wholly devoid of that religious sentiment which formed a feature in many of the Social Songs of the Slaves. Some years since, Mr. Ernst Gagnon, of Quebec, prepared a collection of these Canadian songs. 1 It contains only those most commonly known, for according to this author, "ten large volumes would scarcely contain them." He further remarks, that as a general thing, there is nothing indelicate or wanton in these popular melodies, and that even in some of this description that can be traced back to French origin, the objectionable features have been dropped. In other cases, the change in these airs has been so great that their origin can scarcely be traced back beyond the period of emigration, and in others they are unmistakably and entirely Canadian. We will limit our notice of these songs, to two or three of the most popular and well known, and of these the one first given is altogether the most important. "A LA CLAIRE FONTAINE." Says Mr. Gagnon:-"From the little seven-year-old child to the gray-haired old man, every body in Canada knows this song. There is no French Canadian song that in this respect will compare with it, although the melody is very primitive, and it has little to interest the musician, beyond its great popularity." It is often sung to a dancing tune, and is even brought into the fantasies of a concert. It is known in France, (1) Chansons Populaires du Canada, Recueilles et Publites avec annotations, etc. Quebec, 1865. The author is organist in the Cathedral at Quebec, and his special musical education and earnest devotion to this study, gave these labors peculiar value. It is understood that a new edition of this work is in course of publication. and is said to be of Norman origin, although M. Marmier thinks it came from La Franche Comté, and M. Rathery thinks it was brought from Bretagne, under the reign of Louis XIV. In France it has nearly the same words, but with this difference-that the French song expresses the sorrow of a young girl at the loss of her friend Pierre, while the Canadian lad wastes his regrets upon the rose that his mistress rejected. The air as sung in France is altogether different. Some years since this song in its Canadian dress was brought out in all the principal theatres of Paris with immense success. This led to a distressing burlesque of "La Claire Fontaine, as they sing it in Paris." On the occasion of the visit of the Prince of Wales to America in 1860, a little incident occurred on board the Hero, on the last evening before the land ng at Quebec, that brought this song and its air into notice upon a much wider field than before. Several prominent Canadians had come on board, and as the evening wore away, Mr. Cartier, a high official in the Colonial Government, stepped forward, and began to sing this song in a clear and melodious voice. The chorus was easily picked up by the listeners, and after once hearing it, a few voices joined in;—at first in subdued and gentle murmur, but at each return more clear and strong, until at the end, the whole party were in full accord, and singing with enthusiasm the oft-repeated declaration "Il ya longtemps que je t'aime, Jamais je ne t'oublerai." From this time onward till the end of his journey in America, this simple melody became the favorite piece, or was brought in as an accompaniment to other music, at receptions and parties, and in short upon all occasions wherever music was in order, and for this reason, it is now better known outside of Canada, than all the rest of FrenchCanadian songs put together. A la Claire Fontaine. A la claire fontaine, Il y a longtemps que je t'aime J'ai trouve l'eau si belle, Et c'est au pied d'un chene Sur la plus haute branche Il y a longtemps, etc. Chante, rossignol, chante, Tu as le cœur a rire, Il y a longtemps, etc. J'ai perdu ma maitresse, Il y a longtemps, etc. Je voudrais que la rose Il y a longtemps, etc. Il y a lontemps que je t'aime The following not-very-literal English translation of this Chanson, has in one sense more poetic merit than the original, inasmuch as it has a rhyme, to which the French does not pretend. As by the crystal fount I strayed, On which the dancing moonbeams played, I bathed myself in its delight; I loved thee from the hour we met, |