19th Century print from Imagerie D’Epinal, complete with lyrics to a sweet little French folk tune…
“Le Petit Mari” (also known as “Mon père m’a donné un mari”) is a traditional French folk song rooted in the 17th or 18th century, documenting a young bride’s humorous complaints about her small husband. It is recognized as a 5-couplet song documented in collections like Eugène Rolland’s 19th-century compilation.Â
Key Details of “Le Petit Mari”:Â
- Theme: The song features a young girl whose father marries her to a very small man (“Mon pèr’ m’a donné un mari / La première nuit que j’y couchis…”), often detailing the comical or unsatisfactory nature of the marriage.
- Origin: Often categorized as a chanson populaire (folksong) or chanson de toile, with origins in the oral tradition dating back to the 17th or 18th century, as mentioned in LiederNet and Kan.bzh.
- Musical Setting: It was adapted in modern times, such as by Wilhelm Killmayer (1927–2017) in his 1979/80 Französisches Liederbuch for soprano and instrumental ensemble, according to LiederNet.
- Similar Folk Material: It is part of the genre of traditional French folk music sometimes confused with, or appearing in the same collections as, other 18th-century pieces like “Aux marches du palais”
The song is frequently found in studies of French oral tradition, such as in the 1883-1890 work of Eugène Rolland”
And, here it is…:- > Mon père m’a donné un mari
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