Tri Martolod - Breton Song

Vocals and arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is a song from France's Bretagne, or Brittany as it's called in English. The song was first popularised in France by Alan Stivell's legendary rendition, and later made even popular when the rap song "La Tribu de Dana" utilised the traditional melody. The song is thought to date to the 1700's. The subject is about a trio of young sailors who go to Newfoundland, in Canada.
Brittany is the forgotten Celtic nation; when one mentions Celts, most people in the English speaking world will think of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but will often neglect Brittany, which speaks a fascinating language, perhaps the world's most important refugee language. At the end of Antiquity and the onset of the Medieval era, the once Celtic land of Great Britain was invaded by the Anglo-Saxons. Many of these Breton Celts fled to Armorica, which they named after themselves, hence the name Brittany. However, like most of the regional languages of France, Breton unfortunately seems like it's on its way out, being classified as "severely endangered," by the UNESCO, and fewer and fewer young Bretons are learning the language.
Musically speaking, Brittany is very much evocative of the Celtic sound, with use of the bagpipe, the fiddle, a bagpipe-like sounding instrument called the bombarde, and most importantly, the Celtic harp, which is one of Brittany's great symbols.
Breton lyrics:
Tri martolod yaouank... la la la...
Tri martolod yaouank i vonet da veajiñ
E vonet da veajiñ, gê!
E vonet da veajiñ
Gant 'n avel bet kaset... la la la...
Gant 'n avel bet kaset beteg an Douar Nevez
Beteg an Douar Nevez, gê!
Beteg an Douar Nevez
E-kichen mein ar veilh... la la la...
E-kichen mein ar veilh o deus mouilhet o eorioù
Hag e-barzh ar veilh-se... la la la...
Hag e-barzh ar veilh-se e oa ur servijourez
Pelec'h on-oa konesañs, gê!
Pelec'h on-oa konesañs
En Naoned er marc'had... la la la...
En Naoned er marc'had on-oa choajet ur walenn
English translations:
Three young sailors... la la la… Three young sailors went traveling
Went traveling! Went traveling
And the wind pushed them… la la la... The wind pushed them to Newfoundland
All the way to Newfoundland! All the way to Newfoundland
Next to the windmill stone… la la la... Next to the windmill stone, they dropped anchor
They dropped anchor! They dropped anchor
And in that windmill… la la la... And in that windmill was a servant girl
There was a servant girl! There was a servant girl
And she asked me… la la la... And she asked me where we met
Where have we met before? Where have we met before
In Nantes at the market… la la la... In Nantes at the market, we chose a ring

[@faryafaraji]

Vocals and arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is a song from France's Bretagne, or Brittany as it's called in English. The song was first popularised in France by Alan Stivell's legendary rendition, and later made even popular when the rap song "La Tribu de Dana" utilised the traditional melody. The song is thought to date to the 1700's. The subject is about a trio of young sailors who go to Newfoundland, in Canada. Brittany is the forgotten Celtic nation; when one mentions Celts, most people in the English speaking world will think of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but will often neglect Brittany, which speaks a fascinating language, perhaps the world's most important refugee language. At the end of Antiquity and the onset of the Medieval era, the once Celtic land of Great Britain was invaded by the Anglo-Saxons. Many of these Breton Celts fled to Armorica, which they named after themselves, hence the name Brittany. However, like most of the regional languages of France, Breton unfortunately seems like it's on its way out, being classified as "severely endangered," by the UNESCO, and fewer and fewer young Bretons are learning the language. Musically speaking, Brittany is very much evocative of the Celtic sound, with use of the bagpipe, the fiddle, a bagpipe-like sounding instrument called the bombarde, and most importantly, the Celtic harp, which is one of Brittany's great symbols. Breton lyrics: Tri martolod yaouank... la la la... Tri martolod yaouank i vonet da veajiñ E vonet da veajiñ, gê! E vonet da veajiñ Gant 'n avel bet kaset... la la la... Gant 'n avel bet kaset beteg an Douar Nevez Beteg an Douar Nevez, gê! Beteg an Douar Nevez E-kichen mein ar veilh... la la la... E-kichen mein ar veilh o deus mouilhet o eorioù Hag e-barzh ar veilh-se... la la la... Hag e-barzh ar veilh-se e oa ur servijourez Pelec'h on-oa konesañs, gê! Pelec'h on-oa konesañs En Naoned er marc'had... la la la... En Naoned er marc'had on-oa choajet ur walenn English translations: Three young sailors... la la la… Three young sailors went traveling Went traveling! Went traveling And the wind pushed them… la la la... The wind pushed them to Newfoundland All the way to Newfoundland! All the way to Newfoundland Next to the windmill stone… la la la... Next to the windmill stone, they dropped anchor They dropped anchor! They dropped anchor And in that windmill… la la la... And in that windmill was a servant girl There was a servant girl! There was a servant girl And she asked me… la la la... And she asked me where we met Where have we met before? Where have we met before In Nantes at the market… la la la... In Nantes at the market, we chose a ring

[@zelianwaeckerle5292]

The Diwan school and regionalism will save Breizh ! Thanks for making a cover of this folk song !

[@faryafaraji]

May it thrive in the future; it's too beautiful a language to be lost

[@epipsychidionozymandias5021]

I grew up with this song, so I really can't describe the wave of joy I felt hearing the melody played this beautifully. Wonderful, as everything on this channel!

[@elysiumfields]

This is outstanding. I subscribed because of your battle music, but this has blown me away. Simply exquisite. Thank you.

[@faryafaraji]

So glad you like it! Thanks for the kind words!

[@CONSTANTINEXI63]

My oldest known ancestor is from Brittany, his name was sir Henry De Leon, he was a Breton nobleman who was the secretary to the earl of Morton, later on king john of England, the king of England in the Robin hood stories and brother to king Richard the lion heart. Sir Henry De Leon was given immense tracks of land in meath, near Armagh, north Ireland. He also created the Dillon surname and became the world's first Dillon, which is my surname, all Dillons are descended from him. Which now every year on April 4th is national Dillon day to celebrate the Dillon name in Ireland.

[@YaBoiBaxter2024]

Amazing! May you do Sir Henry De Leon Dillon of Brittany & Ireland proud 👏🏽

[@CONSTANTINEXI63]

@@YaBoiBaxter2024 I intend to

[@YaBoiBaxter2024]

@@CONSTANTINEXI63 Good luck 👍🏼

[@CONSTANTINEXI63]

@@YaBoiBaxter2024 Thanks

[@YaBoiBaxter2024]

@@CONSTANTINEXI63 No problem!

[@squishymusic9723]

The lyrics to these sort of songs always surprise me, lovely as usual

[@faryafaraji]

Thanks alot!

[@GlaxAScrimus]

As a Breton, I absolutely love it !

[@cindyq.790]

Une des plus belles versions que j'aie entendue

[@statilius2454]

this man has something special that no other humanbeing can achive. totally stuning

[@MatthewVanston]

Ah, ça fait plaisir d'écouter cette chanson-là! L'une de mes préférées.

[@ShahjahanMasood]

Once again an amazing performance! You have immense talent my dude.

[@faryafaraji]

❤️ Thanks alot Shahjahan!

[@jeanmahmoud1035]

Je me disais que t'étais francophone, pas possible autrement ;) très belle chanson, arrêtes toi pas

[@julioelpotro1726]

Plein de beaux souvenirs !

[@fatmanur2701]

I was like La la la lalalallaaa all the day today :) so catchy and nice 🎶

[@gryfalis4932]

DANS LA VALLÉE OH OH DE DANA LALALALA

[@TravisLoneWolfWalsh]

A song about my beloved home Newfoundland

[@kilimounais9936]

Putain le charisme frère continue 😎👌

[@faryafaraji]

Merci mon gars!

[@thomasthetiger]

Great work done! Thank you very much for the music.

[@christinebordes9991]

I really liked your interpretation and it's also a very nice video. Thank you! I appreciate your channel. :)

[@faryafaraji]

Thanks alot Christine, I appreciate your kind words!

[@YoreHistory]

Nicely done!

[@faryafaraji]

Thanks man, good to see you again!

[@Seniusss]

Amazing as always Farya 🤍

[@faryafaraji]

Thanks alot!

[@ouicertes9764]

Dans la vallééééééééée

[@jvercouillie]

Farya Faraji, who can play any instrument and speak any language ! Maybe it is not a bad thing that Breton is less spoken ; it will then keep its integrity from now on...

[@Bhope07]

beautiful

[@luhareth5999]

Breizh Atao !

[@lucimicle5657]

I remember listening to a band named Eluveite when junger and they had a song, memento I thing that has similarities with this one in the melody, I wonder what the relation might be. I think they were some sort of nordic, from there the song might have gone to Normandy and Brettany is close by, so...

[@faryafaraji]

One of my favourite bands! They're a Swiss band and their theme is Ancient Gauls (Eluveite is a reference to the Helvetii, the Gauls who lived in modern day Switzerland). Because the ancient Gauls were Celtic, they often reuse modern day Celtic folk songs and add reconstructed Gaulish lyrics to them; so for example they adapted this song from Britanny for one of their songs, or another one called "J'entends le Loup" for their song Luxtos. It's not historically accurate since Gaulish music sounded nothing like what we associate with modern Celtic music today (aka bagpipes and fiddles etc) but they're a folk metal band, it's not like they're posing as historical reenactors, and their music is great anyway so I'm all for it. It's alot like the Slavic band Percival; they adapt folk songs from the Slavic world and reinterpret them in a pseudo-historical epic way.

[@lucimicle5657]

@@faryafaraji Thank's! Years later and now I know! Also, I'll check the Slavic band you mentioned, thank's for that too.

[@ArtAntiDe]

Percival did the Music for The Witcher 3. They have a bunch of "making of" videos with english subtitles where they explain their instruments. They also use a (modified) Turkish Saz. Highly interedting stuff. Some german "Mittlelalter-Metal" Bands also covered Tri Martolod, but I'd say Alan Stivell's stuff from the 70s takes the cake! 70s folk psychedelica ftw! "Tha Mi Sgith 1972" is my favourite new discovery 💕

[@digitaljanus]

I heard that melody too! The Eluveite track in question is "Inis Mona", it's about the island of Anglesey (Ynys Môn in Welsh, I believe?) and its connections to the druids before the Roman conquest.

[@breizhatao3561]

Also be aware that at some point nordic Tribes invaded Brittany, so They might have learned a bit of the culture which might mean why it had similarities

[@martinkorrel2358]

just WAOO!

[@ZugzugZugzugson]

when the bard becomes max level.

[@Grunk111]

This also has the same melody as Inis Mona by ELuveitie.

[@gregcale5388]

It's nice that someone beat me to the punch here. I was wondering why I knew this tune.

[@latifakudsi1376]

💚❤

[@whssy]

Wonder if this folk song was the original inspiration for Renaud Séchan's "Tros Matelots" which expands upon the theme of three young sailors up to no good.

[@helenefournier9288]

Holy wooow j'adore! J'étais pas sûre si tu allais inclure la cornemuse, comme c'est un des instruments phare de l'air, mais c'est tout aussi bon que tu ne l'ais pas mise partout ahah! Pour vrai j'aime full, t'as tourné ça en Europe?

[@faryafaraji]

Haha fallais la cornemuse pour la musique c’est sûr, mais non j’ai tourné ca à Yamachiche lol, ca ressemblait à la côte Atlantique de France je trouve, pis la toune parle de gars qui se trouvent au Canada so why not :p

[@helenefournier9288]

Ahah GG

[@helmoldfunesti5391]

Instantly thought of Inis Mona and Celtos by Eluveitie

[@ripclcze8845]

Ca sonne différents mais intéressant.

[@krystofcisar469]

nice version. whats the insturment you played at this one? Sounds a bit like mandolin.

[@stevenzheng5459]

This song sounds Runescapian!

[@mariecoedwig4347]

It is the most famous breton song with "la jument de Michao" for me Thank you for thinking of Brittany I recommend the folk band "Tri Yann" (1970) kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZW0fo2Lgc2Yedk