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Ai proun couneigu  
(I’ve well known)
Lyrics by Nicolas Saboly, known as Micoulau Sabòli. Traditional from Provence.
Tune Pargai, puis qu’enfin.
This Christmas carol begins the 2nd book holding 6 carols, published on 1669 by Pierre Offray. It appears with number 13 in the Fr. Seguin’s new edition.
| 1st verse |
Ai proun couneigu
Toun jo, ta malice
E teis artefice,
Traite banaru !
Me moque de tu ;
Fas lou paro garo,
N’as que de fanfaro.
Paro garo, paro garo-te davans de iéu,
Car iéu n’ame rèn que lou Fiéu de Diéu. | | I’ve well known
Your play, your mischievousness
And your tricks,
Traitor horned (1)!
I look down on you;
You warn (2),
You are just a braggart.
Warn yourself, beware of me
As me, I love only God’s Son. |
2nd verse |
Tu sies desarma,
N’as rèn que te pare,
De bèu ni de rare,
Pèr poudé charma
E te faire ama.
As trop laido caro ;
Fuge-t’en toutaro.
Paro garo-te, etc. | | You are helpless,
You don’t wear anything adorning you,
Neither beautiful nor rare,
To be able to charm
And to be loved.
You have got a terribly ugly face;
Run away at once.
Warn yourself, beware of me, etc. |
3rd verse |
Ai proun escouta
Toun cant, ta metodo
N’es pas à la modo ;
N’i a pas de bèuta
Pèr nous encanta.
N’as pas la voues claro,
Taiso-te toutaro.
Paro garo-te, etc. | | I’ve well listened
Your words, your method
Is not fashionable;
There is no beauty
To enchant us.
You have not got a clear voice,
Shut up at once.
Warn yourself, beware of me, etc. |
4th verse |
Ta taulo tambèn
N’es pas de requisto ;
Countènto la visto
E pièi noun li a rèn
A planta lei dènt ;
N’i a que d’aigo claro
Qu’es toujour amaro.
Paro garo-te, etc. | | You table also
Isn’t wanted (3);
It satisfies sight
And there is nothing
Where to bite into;
There is only clear water
Which is always bitter.
Warn yourself, beware of me, etc. |
5th verse |
Se dones d’argènt,
Aussitost s’envolo ;
Tu fas de pistolo
Que noun valon rèn,
Qu’a troumpa lei gènt.
As la man avaro,
Fuge-t’en toutaro.
Paro garo-te, etc. | | If you give money,
Immediately it vanishes;
You make pistoles (4)
That are worthless,
Only to trick people.
You have got miserly hand,
Run away at once.
Warn yourself, beware of me, etc. |
1. The devil.
2. Fas lou paro-garo, you try to give the alert.
3. N’es pas de requisto, is not required, wanted. We know well the proverb Fiho pau visto, fiho requisto (“Girl not seen much, girl not pursued”).
4. Pistole: an old French currency.
| Bibliography | | • | Saboly (Nicolas), Lei noé de San Pierre (Christmas carols of Saint Peter), Pierre Offray printer, Avignon, 1669, p. 2-3. | | • | Recueil des noëls composés en langue provençale (Collection of Christmas carols composed in Provençal language), reprint Fr. Seguin, printer and bookseller, Avignon, 1856, p. 18. |
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