Paola I don’t know French but now I am intrigued! What do you mean by devastating?
William, it just sounds obscene, like in English. More for the idea of movement suggested by the juxtaposed composing words. But it has also some roots in the literary history, with Rabelais citing the name of the instrument in some situations. One is when some monks want to be fast with the mass, because they want to go satysfying their stomach as soon as possible. And so, one of them says:
"Car en ayant très-bien desjeusné et repu à usage monachal, si d'adventure il nous chante de Requiem, je y eusse porté pain et vin par les traicts passés. Patience. Saquez, choquez, boutez; mais troussez-la court, de paour que ne se crotte, et pour aultre cause aussi, je vous prie."
"For, had I eaten a good breakfast and fed like a monk, if he should chance to sing us the Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, I had then brought thither bread and wine for the traits passes (those that are gone before). Well, patience; pull away, and save tide; short and sweet, I pray you, and this for a cause."
The versions in modern French lose any reference to the musical instrument, by replacing the original "saquez, choquez, boutez" with a poor "dégainez, frappez, boutez".
Paolo
