La belle Rosselle

Deep in France, in Chaumont-le-bois
Lives Godelieve Rosselle, listen to me
In a stable and an ancient stone house
The beauty is eighty, but still spry
Fifty rabbits, a goat, and a dog
She's bent from working the ground
Tough as nails, believe me
The beautiful Rosselle of Chaumont-le-bois

My man has been dead for twenty years
The poor man suffered terribly
And I have a pension of next to nothing
But I breed rabbits for the Parisians
I have ducks and a cow, and that's how I get by
And I work a bit of my land
She works hard, believe me
The beautiful Rosselle of Chaumont-le-bois

We got married here in fourteen-eighteen
Just married, how time flies
All our land was destroyed and Ypres was flat
Everyone was poor and down on their luck
But things are much better now in Belgium
From what I hear, it's quite fancy there now
She's sharp as a tack, oh believe me
The beautiful Rosselle of Chaumont-le-bois

My children come here now in a car
And they say 'mom, mom, you're crazy'
The Parisian wants to buy your house
And I end up in the asylum, me in prison
They want me to leave my palace
But until I kick the bucket, I won't leave
She's tough as nails, believe me
The beautiful Rosselle of Chaumont-le-bois

Jesus, good God, save her
And you ugly devils, don't touch her
To Godelieve, still spry
With her rabbits, ducks, and her stone house
And we raise a glass to her health
And we sing this little song to her beauty
For she's a lovely lady, believe me
The beautiful Rosselle of Chaumont-le-bois