Dominique

This was one of my favorite songs as a kid. As a kid I thought it was about a little French girl. Turns out years later, I found out that it was about St. Dominic, traveling and preaching over the land, and converting the "heretics" (les Albigeois or Albigensians, a whole historical matter in itself). I found the original artist, the Singing Nun or Soeur Sourire (Sister Sourire), on Itunes, but the version there by Soeur Marie is actually closer to the arrangement I remember and still love (and is the better one to download). The English translation below is not exact (for rhyming reasons I suppose), but it is quite close.


Dominique, nique, nique s'en allait tout simplement
Routier pauvre et chantant
En tous chemins, en tous lieux
Il ne parle que du bon Dieu
Il ne parle que du bon Dieu

A l'e poque ou Jean-sans-Terre
De' Angleterre etait Roi
Dominique, notre Pere
Combattit les Albigeois

Dominique, nique, nique s'en allait tout simplement
Routier pauvre et chantant
En tous chemins, en tous lieux
Il ne parle que du bon Dieu
Il ne parle que du bon Dieu

Certains jours un heretique
Par des ronces le conduit
Mais notre pere Dominique
Par sa joie le convertit

Dominique, nique, nique s'en allait tout simplement
Routier pauvre et chantant
En tous chemins, en tous lieux
Il ne parle que du bon Dieu
Il ne parle que du bon Dieu

Ni chameau, ni diligence
Il parcout l'Europe a pied
Scandinavie ou Provence
Dans la sainte pauvrete

Dominique, nique, nique s'en allait tout simplement
Routier pauvre et chantant
En tous chemins, en tous lieux
Il ne parle que du bon Dieu
Il ne parle que du bon Dieu

Enflamma de toute ecole
Filles et garcons pleins d'ardeur
Et pour semer la Parole
Inventa les Freres-Precheurs

Dominique, nique, nique s'en allait tout simplement
Routier pauvre et chantant
En tous chemins, en tous lieux
Il ne parle que du bon Dieu
Il ne parle que du bon Dieu

Chez Dominique et ses freres
Le pain s'en vint a manquer
Et deux anges se presenterent
Portant de grands pains dores

Dominique, nique, nique s'en allait tout simplement
Routier pauvre et chantant
En tous chemins, en tous lieux
Il ne parle que du bon Dieu
Il ne parle que du bon Dieu

Dominique vit en reve
les precheurs du monde entier
Sous le manteau de la Vierge
en grand nombre rassembles
(Chorus)

Dominique mon bon Pere
garde-nous simples et gais
Pour annoncer a nos freres
la Vie et la Verite
(Chorus)


English -

Dominique, nique nique
o'er the land he plods along
and sings his little song
Never asking for reward
He just talks about the Lord
He just talks about the Lord

At a time when Johnny Lackland
over England was the King, Dominique
was in the backland,
fighting sin like anything

Dominique, nique nique
o'er the land he plods along
and sings his little song
Never asking for reward
He just talks about the Lord
He just talks about the Lord

Now a heretic, one day
Among the thorns forced him to crawl
Dominique with just one prayer,
Made him hear the good Lord's call
(To Chorus)

Without horse or fancy wagon,
He crossed Europe up and down
Poverty was his companion,
As he walked from town to town
(Chorus)

To bring back the straying liars
and the lost sheep to the fold
He brought forth the Preaching Friars,
Heaven's soldiers, brave and bold
(Chorus)

One day in the budding order,
There was nothing left to eat,
Suddenly two angels walked in
With a load of bread and meat
(Chorus)

Dominique once in his slumber
Saw the Virgin's coat unfurled
Over friars without number
Preaching all around the world
(Chorus)

Grant us now oh Dominique
The grace of love and simple mirth
That we all may help to quicken
Godly life and truth on earth
(Chorus)