In my forthcoming novel, Nazaire Poulin, the protagonist thinks of his deceased spouse, Victoria Vachon and doesn’t remember the lines to this song that she had sung many times. Here are the lyrics in French and English.
LYRICS IN FRENCH
from https://lyricstranslate.com/en/evangeline-evangeline.html-0sung in French by
LYRICS IN ENGLISH
English translation
Evangeline
The stars were in the sky
Back in the arms of Gabriel
It was fine, it was Sunday
The bells were ringing
And you were going to get married
In your first white dress
Autumn had begun well
The crowds had all returned
And departed full of mockery
And at night the sound of a violin
the girls and boys especially
Would have told you you were beautiful
Evangeline Evangeline
But the English arrived
In the church they locked
All the men in your village
And women had to go
With the children crying
All night on the shore
In the morning they embarked
with Gabriel on a Tall Ship
Without saying goodbye, without a smile
And all alone on the dock
You tried to pray
But you had nothing more to say
Evangeline Evangeline
So for over twenty years
You have searched for your lover
Throughout America
In the plains and valleys
Each wind whispered his name
Like the most beautiful music
Even if your heart was dead
Your love grew stronger
In memory and absence
He filled your thoughts
And every day he flourished
In the garden of silence
Evangeline Evangeline
You lived alone with the desire
To relieve and cure
Those who suffer more than yourself
You learned that at the end of sorrows
fate always finds the way
to lead us toward those we love
So one Sunday morning
You heard in the distance
The chimes of your village
And then suddenly you understood
That your trials were over
Like a long journey
Before you lay
A stranger on a pallet
An old man dying of weakness
In the morning light
His face seemed suddenly
To take on the features of his youth
Gabriel died in your arms
You planted on his mouth
A kiss as long as your life
He must have wanted
To find
The strength to say thank you
Evangeline Evangeline
There still exist today
People who live in your country
Who will remember your name
Because the ocean is talking about you
Southeast winds carry your voice
From the forest to the plain
Your name is more than Acadia
More than hope for a homeland
Your name transcends borders
Your name is the name of all those who
Despite their unhappiness
still believe in love and hope
Evangeline Evangeline
Evangeline Evangeline