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Rau tau plau la vielha  
(Crash! the old woman)
or À Paris
(In Paris)
Traditional from County of Nice.
| 1st verse |
A Paris, li’er’ una vielha, ran ! (twice)
Una vielh’ de setant’ an,
Rau tau plau la vielha !
Una vielh’ de setant’ an,
Rau tau plan ! | | In Paris, there was an old woman, crash! (twice)
An old woman aged seventy,
Crash! the old woman!
An old woman aged seventy,
Crash! |
2nd verse |
Aimava l’amour, la joia, rau ! (twice)
E jugava dòu tambau,
Rau tau plau la vielha !
E jugava dòu tambau,
Rau tau plau ! | | She was liking love, joy, crash! (twice)
And was playing drum,
Crash! the old woman!
And was playing drum,
Crash! |
3rd verse |
Aquela vielha champornia, rau ! (twice)
Descurbet sus lou Mount-Cau,
(...) | | This old cheeky (sassy), crash! (twice)
Discovered on the Mount Chauve,
(...) |
4th verse |
Un bèu jouve de la Roya, rau ! (twice)
Que buvilha coum’un trau,
(...) | | A beautiful young man from the Roya, crash! (twice)
Drinking like a fish,
(...) |
5th verse |
La vielh’en faguèn de gnogna, rau ! (twice)
L’alumet coum’un fanau,
(...) | | The old woman, putting on airs, crash! (twice)
Teased him “as a headlight”,
(...) |
6th verse |
Eu qu’aimava la fanfòrnia, rau ! (twice)
Couma lou cat que fà miau,
(...) | | He, liking [to play] Jew’s harp (1), crash! (twice)
As does the cat mewing,
(...) |
7th verse |
S’es dich : « D’escut plèn la pocha, rau ! (twice)
Acò mi farà pas mau,
(...) | | Said himself: “Crowns lining my pockets, crash! (twice)
Will not make me sick!
(...) |
8th verse |
« Ai trovat la California, rau ! (twice)
Pouodi laissà lou magau. »
(...) | | “I’ve found the California, crash! (twice)
I can leave the hook.”
(...) |
9th verse |
A la gleia tout en gloria, rau ! (twice)
Menet aquèu vielh bertau,
(...) | | To the church, fully in majesty, crash! (twice)
He led this old bedbug (2),
(...) |
10th verse |
L’espouset e plèn de joia, rau ! (twice)
Vò li mettre lou mourau,
(...) | | He married her and, full of joy, crash! (twice)
He wants to put the bit between her teeth,
(...) |
11th verse |
Après, s’ai bouona memoria, rau ! (twice)
Vò li faire lou patau,
(...) | | After that, if I remember right, crash! (twice)
He wants to do the good-for-nothing,
(...) |
12th verse |
Per aimà Zoun e Vitòria, rau ! (twice)
E pilhà un pòu de repau,
(...) | | To fall in love with Elise and Victory, crash! (twice)
And take a bit of a rest,
(...) |
13th verse |
Ma la vielha qu’es pas chornia, rau ! (twice)
Lou fa retournà au mont Cau,
(...) | | But the old woman who is not doddering, crash! (twice)
Make him go back to the Mount Chauve,
(...) |
14th verse |
La mourala de l’istoria, rau ! (twice)
Cau pas quittà lou magau
Per lu escut e la fanfòrnia
De la vielha dòu tambau,
Rau tau plau ! | | The moral of this story, crash! (twice)
It’s better not leave the hook
For the crowns and the Jew’s harp
Of the old woman with a drum,
Crash! |
1. A popular musical instrument. The fanfòrnia is also the name of a housewife doing bad housekeeping.
2. Bertau, bedbug, means here a mischief-maker.
| Bibliography | | • | Delrieu (Georges), Anthologie de la chanson niçoise (Anthology of the Song from Nice), Nice, publisher Delrieu & Co, 1960, p. 100. | | • | Tosan (Albert), Princivalle (Gaël) and d’Hulster (Frédéric), Anthologie de la chanson du comté de Nice (Anthology of the Song from County of Nice), Nice, Serre publisher, series “Encyclopædia niciensis – Patrimoine régional”, volume III, 2001, p. 232. |
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