Il est bel et bon – Pronunciation Guide & Translation

The symbol [ə], indicates the “schwa” sound which is an unstressed “uh” vowel that sounds
like an unstressed “the”. If a vowel is written with a tilde (~) above, it is nasalized.
This guide is intended to provide a model for the Modern French pronunciation commonly
used with this piece.

Il est bel et bon commère, mon mari.

[il ay bell ay bõh kom-meh-rə, mõh mah-ree]
He is handsome and good, girlfriend, my husband is!

Il était deux femmes toutes d’un pays.

[il eh-tay duh fem-mə too-tə də pay-ee] (pe-i)
There were these two neighbor women in the country,

Disant l’une à l’aultre; avez bon mari.

[dee-zãh loo-nah lohl-trə; ah-vay bõh mah-ree]
One says to the other, “Do you have a good husband?”

Il ne me courrouce ne me bat aussi.

[il nə mə coh-roos-ə nə mə bah-toh-see]
He doesn’t make me cross, never beats me either,

Il fait le ménage, il donne aux poulailles

[il fay lə meh-nah-zhə, il don oh poo-lii-ee] (Long i – Long e)
He does the housework, he tends the chicken coop,

Et je prends mes plaisirs,

[ay zhə prah may play-zeer]
And I take my pleasures!

Commère, c’est pour rire

[kom-meh-rə, say pohr ree-rə]
Girlfriend! It’s enough to make you laugh

Quand les poulailles crient:

[kãh lay poo-lii-ee cree-ãh]
When the chickens cry out: co co dac,

Petite coquette, qu’est ceci?

[pə-tee-tə koh-keh-tə, keh-sə-see?]
‘Little chicks, what is this?’