Corbel now lives in Paris and performs in France and abroad. Her music blends ancient poems and compositions, celtic tunes and Mediterranean influences. She was noticed during her concerts and had the opportunity to play with the greatest “world music” artists:
Three ravens
Cécile Corbel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They were as blacke as they might be
Downe a downe hay downe
With a downe derrie down derrie
Downe a downe hay downe
There were three ravens sat on a tree
Downe a downe hay downe
With a downe derrie downe
The one of them said to his mate
"Where shall we our breakefast take?"
"Downe in yonder greene field
There lies a knight slain vnder his shield"
Downe a downe hay downe
They were as blacke as they might be
Downe a downe hay downe
With a downe derrie down derrie
Downe a downe hay downe
There were three ravens sat on a tree
Downe a downe hay downe
With a downe derrie downe
"His hounds they lie downe at his feete
So well they can their master keepe
His haukes they flie so eagerly
There's no fowle dare him to come nie"
Downe a downe hay downe
They were as blacke as they might be
Downe a downe hay downe
With a downe derrie down derrie
Downe a downe hay downe
There were three ravens sat on a tree
Downe a downe hay downe
With a downe derrie downe
Downe there comes a fallow doe
As great with yong as she might goe
She buried him before the prime
She was dead herselfe ere euen-song time
Downe a downe hay downe
They were as blacke as they might be
Downe a downe hay downe
With a downe derrie down derrie
Downe a downe hay downe
There were three ravens sat on a tree
Downe a downe hay downe
With a downe derrie downe
Downe a downe hay downe
They were as blacke as they might be
Downe a downe hay downe
With a downe derrie down derrie
Downe a downe hay downe
There were three ravens sat on a tree
Downe a downe hay downe
With a downe derrie downe
The song "Three Ravens" by Cécile Corbel is an adaptation of a traditional English ballad that tells a story of three ravens perched on a tree, waiting to feast on the corpse of a knight who has been killed in battle. The first raven asks his mate where they should have their breakfast, and the second raven suggests a green field where a knight lies dead under his shield. The third raven tells of the knight's loyal hounds and hawks guarding their master, and how no bird would dare to come near him. Eventually, a fallow doe comes and buries the knight, but dies herself shortly after. The three ravens then depart.
The lyrics of this song are filled with imagery, creating a vivid picture of the scene being described. The three black ravens represent death, while the knight's loyal hounds and hawks represent loyalty and protection even in death. The fallow doe brings a touch of sadness to the story, showing that death spares no one, not even a mother expecting her young. The repetitious "downe a downe hay downe" and "downe derrie down derrie" also add to the rhythm of the song, creating a haunting and melancholic melody.
Line by Line Meaning
Downe a downe hay downe
Repetitive tune, indicating a solemn and dark mood
They were as blacke as they might be
The ravens were dark in color, symbolizing a foreboding presence
With a downe derrie down derrie
Repeating tune, serving as an ominous soundtrack
There were three ravens sat on a tree
Three ominous birds perched on a tree, setting up a scene of dread
The one of them said to his mate
One raven speaking to another, implying a level of intelligence and organization among them
"Where shall we our breakefast take?"
The ravens discussing where to eat, showing a casual attitude towards death and violence
"Downe in yonder greene field
Suggesting a specific location for their meal
There lies a knight slain vnder his shield"
The ravens feast on a murdered knight, highlighting the gruesome nature of the scene
"His hounds they lie downe at his feete
The knight's loyal dogs remain by his side, indicating his importance
So well they can their master keepe
The dogs were good protectors of the knight, further emphasizing his status
His haukes they flie so eagerly
The knight's trained birds of prey were well taken care of, indicating his wealth and high rank
There's no fowle dare him to come nie"
The birds of prey were feared by other birds, showing the knight's dominance over nature
Downe there comes a fallow doe
A deer approaches the scene, adding to the imagery of nature and wild animals
As great with yong as she might goe
The deer was visibly pregnant, adding a layer of sadness and loss to the story
She buried him before the prime
The deer buries the knight before noon, emphasizing the swiftness of death and decay
She was dead herselfe ere euen-song time
The stress of pregnancy and grief kills the deer, showing the harshness of life
Contributed by Maria L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
morevaseret
Such a beautiful voice, I would love to hear her sing the full version of this song to the wonderful tune written by Thomas Ravenscroft in 1611 It fits the song so much better.
Here are the original lyrics; Adapted to more modern English
There were three ravens sat on a tree, down-a-down hey down-a-down,
They were as black as they might be, with a-down;
When one of them sang to his mate, "Where shall we our breakfast take?
With a down, derry-derry down-a-down. ( variation: "With a down, derry-derry, derry-down-down.")
Down in yonder greeny field, down-a-down hey down-a-down
There lies a knight slain under his shield, with a-down:
His hounds they lie down at his feet, so faithful they their master keep,
With a down derry-derry down-a-down.
His hawks they fly so eagerly, down-a-down hey down-a-down,
There is no fowl dare him come nigh, with a-down;
Down their comes a fallow doe, so great with young a she might go,
With a down derry-derry down-a-down.
She's lifted up his bloody head, down-a-down hey down-a-down,
And kissed his wounds which were so red, with a-down;
She's raised him up upon her back, and carried him to her domain; ( variation: instead of "her domain" "earthen lake.")
With a down derry-derry down-a-down.
She buried him before the prime, down-a-down hey down-a-down,
She was dead herself before evensong time, with a-down:
God grant every gentleman, such hawks, such hounds, and such a lemman.
With a down derry-derry down-a-down.
Prime --------------------------- 6pm.
Evensong or Vespers ---- Early evening
Domain ------------------------ Home
Lemman ----------------------- Lover
Down-a-down, and Hey down-a-down, have no meaning, they are just fillers like Fa-la -la, or Hey nonny-nonny.
I sing this often in folk song clubs and it is one of my favourite songs.
Maureen x
morevaseret
Such a beautiful voice, I would love to hear her sing the full version of this song to the wonderful tune written by Thomas Ravenscroft in 1611 It fits the song so much better.
Here are the original lyrics; Adapted to more modern English
There were three ravens sat on a tree, down-a-down hey down-a-down,
They were as black as they might be, with a-down;
When one of them sang to his mate, "Where shall we our breakfast take?
With a down, derry-derry down-a-down. ( variation: "With a down, derry-derry, derry-down-down.")
Down in yonder greeny field, down-a-down hey down-a-down
There lies a knight slain under his shield, with a-down:
His hounds they lie down at his feet, so faithful they their master keep,
With a down derry-derry down-a-down.
His hawks they fly so eagerly, down-a-down hey down-a-down,
There is no fowl dare him come nigh, with a-down;
Down their comes a fallow doe, so great with young a she might go,
With a down derry-derry down-a-down.
She's lifted up his bloody head, down-a-down hey down-a-down,
And kissed his wounds which were so red, with a-down;
She's raised him up upon her back, and carried him to her domain; ( variation: instead of "her domain" "earthen lake.")
With a down derry-derry down-a-down.
She buried him before the prime, down-a-down hey down-a-down,
She was dead herself before evensong time, with a-down:
God grant every gentleman, such hawks, such hounds, and such a lemman.
With a down derry-derry down-a-down.
Prime --------------------------- 6pm.
Evensong or Vespers ---- Early evening
Domain ------------------------ Home
Lemman ----------------------- Lover
Down-a-down, and Hey down-a-down, have no meaning, they are just fillers like Fa-la -la, or Hey nonny-nonny.
I sing this often in folk song clubs and it is one of my favourite songs.
Maureen x
Marc P.
Cecile, you are still singing my favourite version of this wonderous traditional, which means quite a lot to me. Love your voice !
gilles Tkocz
j'ai une grande admiration pour cette artiste
Aynur Yeşilırmak
💝Love your voiceee,Cecile Corbell💝💝💝
serge
Une voix douce
Kathryn Green
Is it possible to purchase your arrangement of Blackbird? It is stunning.
Agner de Gloire
quel parfum de la musique ~!
Anna Humphries
Good song
ココ
😭😭😭😍👍
LPS Modernes Et spectaculaires
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