"Auprès de ma blonde" (French for "Next to My Girl") or "Le Prisonnier de Hollande" ("The Prisoner of Holland") is a popular chanson dating to the 17th century. The song tells the story of a woman who laments to the birds in her father's garden that her husband is a prisoner in Holland. It appeared during or soon after the Franco-Dutch War (1672–78), during the reign of Louis XIV, when French sailors and soldiers were commonly imprisoned in the Netherlands.
The song's quick pace and lively melody made it well-suited to military marches, and it is still commonly played at parades. For the same reasons, it gained widespread popularity as a drinking song and nursery rhyme.
The song was composed in 1704 during the reign of Louis XIV. A local tradition attributes the composition to André Joubert du Collet.[1]
Music
<score>
\new Staff {
\relative c {
\key f \major
\numericTimeSignature
\time 6/8
\partial 8
a8^ \markup { \italic Couplet }
a4 bes8 a4 g8
f4. f8 r f
c'4 c8 d4 d8
c4. ~ c8 r a \break
a4 bes8 a4 g8
f4. f8 r f
c'4 c8 d4 d8
c4. ~ c8 r c \break
d4 d8 d4 a8
bes4. bes8 r bes
c4 c8 c4 g8
a4. ~ a4 r8 \break
f4.^ \markup { \italic Refrain } g8 a bes
a4. c
g4 bes8 a4 g8
f4 d8 c4. \break
f g8 a bes
a4. c
g4 bes8 a4 g8
f4. ~ f4 \bar "|."
} }
\addlyrics {
\lyricmode {
Dans les jar -- dins d'mon pè -- re,
Les li -- las sont fleu -- ris.
Dans les jar -- dins d'mon pè -- re,
Les lau -- riers sont fleu -- ris.
Tous les oi -- seaux du mon -- de
Vien -- nent y fair' leurs nids.
Au -- près de ma blon -- de,
Qu'il fait bon, fait bon, fait bon.
Au -- près de ma blon -- de,
Qu'il fait bon dor -- mir_!
