Le Roy Engloys

Le Roi Anglois^[a] (English: The English King) is a song found in the Bayeux Manuscript,^[1] a collection of more than a hundred songs compiled at the start of the 16th century AD by Charles III de Bourbon and written at the end of the 15th century AD, some dozens of years after the end of the Hundred Years' War.

The song contains numerous historical errors due to the fact that its composition took place close to half a century after the events it recounts. The English King Henry V is said to have died in Saint-Fiacre in Brie,^[1] while in reality he died in Vincennes. The "Captain Prégent" is Prigent VII de Coëtivy, one of the victors, along with Jean de Clermont, of the Battle of Formigny,^[2] on 18 April 1450 (3,500 dead on the English side, 500 on the French side). The Middle French word used for "tails", "couez", bears a resemblance to the word "couard", meaning "coward".^[3] The word "Godon" was a French ethnic slur for English people,^[4] which may be the result of a corruption of "God-damn".^[5]

Lyrics

Middle French lyrics^[b]	English translation
Le Roi Anglois se faisoit appeller Le Roi de France par s’appellation. Il a voulu hors du païs mener Les bons François hors de leur nation. Or est-il mort à Sainct-Fiacre en Brie, Du païs de France ils sont tous déboutez. Il n’est plus mot de ces Anglois couez. Mauldite en soit trestoute la lignée ! Ils ont chargé l’artillerie sur mer, Force biscuit et chascun un bidon, Et par la mer jusqu’en Biscaye aller Pour couronner leur petit roi godon. Mais leur effort n’est rien que moquerie : Capitaine Prégent lez a si bien frottez Qu’ils ont esté terre et en mer enfondrez. Mauldite en ſoit treſtoutte la lignée !	The English King named himself The King of France by his own designation. He wanted to throw out The good Frenchmen out of their nation. But he died at Saint-Fiacre in Brie, From the country of France they've all been thrown. No more is spoken of these English cowards. May their whole lineage be cursed! They have charged the cannons on the boats, Lots of biscuit and each one a bottle, And by the sea up to Biscay they go, To crown their little goddamn king. But their effort is nothing but a mockery: Captain Prigent fought them well And on land and sea they've been buried. May their whole lineage be cursed!

Notes

^ Attested in the Bayeux manuscript as Le Roy engloys.
^ Middle French was not a standardized language. The lyrics presented here are a retroactive scholarly standardization for the sake of legibility.
The lyrics as found in the Bayeux Manuscript are as follows:^[6]
Le Roy engloys ſe faiſoit appeller
Le Roy de frãnce ꝑ ſappellation
Ỻ a voullu Hors du pais mener
Les bons frãçoys hors de leʳ nation

Or eſt-il mort a ſainct-fiacre en brye
Du pais de frãce ilz ſont tous deboutez
Il neſt plus mot de ces ẽgloys couez
Mauldite ſoit treſ toute la lignye

Ilz ont charge Lartillerie ſur mer
Force biſcuit et chaſcun vng bidon
Et par la mer juſquen biſquaye aller
Pour couronner leur petit roy godon.

Maiz leur effort neſt rien que moq̄rie
Cappitaine pregent Lez a ſi bien frotez
Quilz ont eſte terre et en mer enfondrez
Mauldite en soit trestoute la lignye

References

^ ^a ^b Gérold, Théodore (1921). Le Manuscrit de Bayeux, texte et musique d'un recueil de chansons du XVe siècle. Librairie Istria: Faculty of French Literature and Language of the University of Strasburg. p. 103. read online
^ Nicolle, David (2012). The Fall of English France 1449–53. p. 29.
^ EFFE, Frédéric (22 April 2016). "Le Roy Engloys ou le roé anglais". moyenagepassion. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
^ de Ullmann, Stephen (December 1947). "Anglicisms in French-Notes on Their Chronology, Range, and Reception". PMLA. 62 (4). Modern Language Association: 1155–1156. doi:10.2307/459155. JSTOR 459155.
^ Foulsham, Martha; Gunther, G.; Ryan, John S. (1992). "Appendix 1 Godams (Thesis, part 5)". Stand Up the Real Maid: The St Joan Theme in Selected Modern English Language and European Authors (Thesis). p. 231.
^ "Chansonnier , dit Manuscrit de Bayeux", Gallica (digital library), FR: BnF, p. 89

[1] Attested in the Bayeux manuscript as Le Roy engloys.

[8] Middle French was not a standardized language. The lyrics presented here are a retroactive scholarly standardization for the sake of legibility.
The lyrics as found in the Bayeux Manuscript are as follows:^[6]
Le Roy engloys ſe faiſoit appeller
Le Roy de frãnce ꝑ ſappellation
Ỻ a voullu Hors du pais mener
Les bons frãçoys hors de leʳ nation

Or eſt-il mort a ſainct-fiacre en brye
Du pais de frãce ilz ſont tous deboutez
Il neſt plus mot de ces ẽgloys couez
Mauldite ſoit treſ toute la lignye

Ilz ont charge Lartillerie ſur mer
Force biſcuit et chaſcun vng bidon
Et par la mer juſquen biſquaye aller
Pour couronner leur petit roy godon.

Maiz leur effort neſt rien que moq̄rie
Cappitaine pregent Lez a ſi bien frotez
Quilz ont eſte terre et en mer enfondrez
Mauldite en soit trestoute la lignye

[:0-2] Gérold, Théodore (1921). Le Manuscrit de Bayeux, texte et musique d'un recueil de chansons du XVe siècle. Librairie Istria: Faculty of French Literature and Language of the University of Strasburg. p. 103. read online

[3] Nicolle, David (2012). The Fall of English France 1449–53. p. 29.

[4] EFFE, Frédéric (22 April 2016). "Le Roy Engloys ou le roé anglais". moyenagepassion. Retrieved 16 July 2020.

[5] Ullmann, Stephen (December 1947). "Anglicisms in French-Notes on Their Chronology, Range, and Reception". PMLA. 62 (4). Modern Language Association: 1155–1156. doi:10.2307/459155. JSTOR 459155.

[6] Foulsham, Martha; Gunther, G.; Ryan, John S. (1992). "Appendix 1 Godams (Thesis, part 5)". Stand Up the Real Maid: The St Joan Theme in Selected Modern English Language and European Authors (Thesis). p. 231.

[7] "Chansonnier , dit Manuscrit de Bayeux", Gallica (digital library), FR: BnF, p. 89

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