En passant par la Lorraine is a lovely little ditty of a young girl wandering through Lorraine in her clogs (how sweet and romantic!) and met not one, not two but three captains. They say that she is a peasant and the young girls needs three verses to make a denial on the grounds that she is loved by the king's son. She claims this on the grounds that she was given a bunch of sweet marjoram (ah, poor, foolish young girl!). She further claims that when the sweet marjoram blossoms, she will become a queen.
This is a delight of a song and is perfect for children on account of the many repeats. The version that I sing and play can be found in
Lieder, Songs und Gospels 3.
En passant par la Lorraine can also be found in
Folklore Quebecois and
Airs de Folklore Livre 1 as an arrangement by
Jean Chatillon for a soprano solo with piano accompaniment.