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French:
Ah! si mon moine voulait danser!
Ah! si mon moine voulait danser!
Un capuchon ju lui donnerais,
Un capuchon ju lui donnerais.

Chorus:
Danse, mon moine’, danse!
Tu n’entends pas la danse
Tu n’entends pas mon moulin, lon la
Tu n’entends pas mon moulin marcher.

Ah! si mon moine voulait danser! (x2)
Un ceinturon je lui donnerais. (x2)

Ah! si mon moine voulait danser!
Un chapelet je lui donnerais.

Ah! si mon moine voulait danser!
Un froc de bur’ je lui donnerais.

Ah! si mon moine voulait danser!
Un beau psautier je lui donnerais.

S’il n’avait faitvoeu pauvreté,
Bien d’autres chos’ je lui donnerais.

English:
Oh, if my monk would dance with me!
Oh, if my monk would dance with me!
A hooded coat I will give to thee,
A hooded coat I will give to thee.

Chorus:
Dance, dance, my monk, yes dance,
Together let us dance now,
With you I want to dance now,
Together let us dance today.

Oh, if my monk would dance with me,
A shining belt I will give to thee.

Oh, if my monk would dance with me,
A rosary I will give to thee.

Oh, if my monk would dance with me,
A homespun coat I will give to thee.

Oh, if my monk would dance with me,
A fine songbook I will give to thee.

And if you’ll give a kiss to me,
A ring of gold I will give to thee.

Another song thought to have been sung by the voyageurs, and well-known in Quebec. In standard French, “moine” means “monk,” but in Quebec, it also means a spinning top, so this is also a children’s game song. The song dates back to at least 1865.

The French text is from Edith Fowke and Richard Johnston, Folk Songs of Quebec (Chansons de Québec), 1957. pp. 80-81. Their “translation” is really a rewrite of the song and has not been followed.