JOST A MON

The idle ramblings of a Jack of some trades, Master of none

Sep 10, 2013

Bordeaux or Burgundy?



In particular:

Le Duc de Bordeaux ne boit qu' du Bourgogne,
Mais l' Duc de Bourgogne, lui, ne boit que de l'eau;
Ils ont aussitôt échangé sans vergogne
Un verr' de Bourgogne contr' le port de Bordeaux.

A song of good cheer (chanter le vin) from Burgundy. Drink wine and be merry.

The Duke of Bordeaux drinks only Bourgogne
But the Duke of Bourgogne he drinks water alone
so neither felt shame when they sought to exchange
a glass of Bourgogne for the port of Bordeaux.

(From Norman Davies, Vanished Kingdoms: The History of Half-Forgotten Europe, page 108.)

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