Chant de la Legion etrangere - Véronika

I am interested in the songs of the Foreign Legion. I would like to be able to sing some of them, and to have the same understanding of them as would an English-speaking Legionnaire who was singing them in French. In other words, I seek meaning, as well as a straight translation.

I understand this one pretty well, but I need help with some fine points. Legionnaires can be heard singing it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5IdfVcHWpA

Here are the words in French:

Véronika

A la sortie de la caserne,

Il y a un vieux moulin.

Deux jolies filles habitant dedans,

Et chantent soir et matin.

(My understanding is "At the entrance of the barracks is an old mill. Two pretty girls live there, and they sing night and day. We have no "old mills" here in Etats Unis, and I would like to know what one looks like.)

La blonde c’est Véronika,

Et la brune c’est Marie.

Ces jolies filles sont les amours

De tout la compagnie.

(The blonde is named Veronika, and the brown-haired is named Marie. These pretty girls are the lovers of all the men in the barracks. [in other words, they are very naughty girls])

Pira la la, Pira la la,

Pira la la la la la la la la

Pira la la, Pira la la,

Véronika Marie

(I don't know if 'Pira la la' has any meaning, or if these are just nonsense words. I don't know why both girls' names are joined together. Is it some sort of play on words involving marriage, wives, husbands, etc.?)

Pour toi Véronika, Ha! Ha! Ha!

Pour toi Véronika,

Véronika Marie

(For you Veronika, etc. I don't know if they are laughing at her, or with her, or if these are just some nonsense words. Also once again the two girls' names are joined together.)

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EducatorPermalink Reply by stu harris on February 25, 2012 at 6:58pm

In context, a vieux moulin is very likely a windmill. But it ain't necessarily so -- any mill is a moulin.

I doubt that Ces jolies filles sont les amours / De tout la compagnie actually means that everyone in the regiment is fucking the girls. More likely it's just that the whole regiment is in love with them.

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Permalink Reply by Louis Sander on February 26, 2012 at 1:55pm

Yes, I've been wondering about that. They are either ho's or nice girls that everybody adores. I think of it both ways, but since these are tough soldiers, I slightly favor the former. The meaning of the "Pira, la la" stuff, if any, might provide a clue.

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Permalink Reply by lamys araktingi on February 29, 2012 at 5:58pm

pira lala is like dumdididum

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Permalink Reply by Louis Sander on March 1, 2012 at 11:53pm

Merci! I thought that was probably the case, but of course I was not certain.

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Permalink Reply by Louis Sander on March 1, 2012 at 11:55pm

I Googled images of "vieux moulin", and got interesting results. Some of them are windmills, usually abandoned, others are along rivers and formerly had water wheels. I am guessing that the girls live in the latter type, and that the barracks is also along the river.