English translation

They are the daughters of La Rochelle, A fleet of ships
(Repeat second line in each verse)
For to engage the foe, In the sea of the Levant.
Ah, the leaf flies away, flies away! Ah the leaf flies away in the wind!
The main yard is of ivory, The blocks are made of diamonds, The mains'l is of lace, The fores'l of white satin. The ropes of this ship Are of gold and silver thread, And the hull is of redwood, Worked handsomely. The crew of this ship Are all fifteen-year-old girls, The master in charge Is king of these good children. Yesterday while walking Upon the fo'c'slehead, He spotted a brunette Crying in the shrouds. "What is the matter sweet brunette? Why are you crying so? Have you lost father, mother, Or one of your parents?" "I picked the white rose, Which flew away in the wind. It was carried before the wind, Veering and tacking."

Stan Hugill credits his version of this song to his shipmate Jean Loro:

This old forebitter was a favorite with the matelot, and in particular with my old shipmate Jean Loro, seaman from Nantes who once knew well the decks of the Borde sailing ships of Dunkerque. It has a fairylike quality about it, unlike other “Fille” songs that were so popular in French fo’c’sles; for example “La Fille de Sables” and “Les Filles de Camaret,” both extremely bawdy.