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Fà-la ballà !  
(Let she dance!)
Official song of the carnival of Nice 1933
Nissart lyrics by Jean Lémont, music by Mario Delvar. Traditional from County of Nice.
The French original lyrics by Jean Lémont are not reproduced here. The text given corresponds to the literal translation from the version in Nissart.
The theme for this year 1933 is “Roi du genre” (King of genre (1)).
First page of the music sheet for Fà-la ballà ! illustration by Cassarini, éd. Legresse musique, 1932. | | 1st verse |
Rei, regina d’opereta
Si soun donat rendez-vous
Autour dòu prince de la festa,
Carneval, sire dòu giou.
E già, Veronica
Fà ’n duo mé lou Petit Duc:
“Vous plas, ’sta musica?
Demanda moussu Leduc.
— Es nova, mà
Mi plas ben! La vuol’ emparà.” | | Kings, queens of operetta
Had arranged to meet
Around prince of the feast,
Carnival, Sire of the day.
And already, Veronica (2)
Sings a duet with the Little Duke (3):
“Do you care for this music?
Asks mister Leduc.
— It is new, but
It well suits me! I want to learn it.” |
Chorus |
“Sautà!
Ballà!”
Crida l’enfan de Nissa,
Un sourir’ en coulissa
Vers li dam’ en falbalà.
“Sautà!
Ballà!”
Ourdoun’ en sa justicia
Lou nouestre rei. Ho, hissa!
Fà-la sautà!
Fà-la ballà! (twice) | | “Jump!
Dance!”
Shouts the child of Nice,
A sidelong smile
To women in furbelows.
“Jump!
Dance!”
Orders in all fairness
Our king. Heave ho!
Let she jump!
Let she dance! (twice) |
2nd verse |
’N aqueu cant, lu mousquetere
À cavàu van au corso.
Li a ’n mouloun de gien per veire
Gilletta ’m Obligado.
E Rosa-Maria
A dich: “Ma maire, n’ai assez
Dai flouret’, e vìa!
Mi vouol’ amusà ’na fès!
Puodi plus stà
Cour’ aquest’ ari’ audi cantà!” | | In this song, the musketeers (4)
On horseback go to procession.
There is a lot of people to see
Gilletta with Obligado (5).
And Rose-Mary (6)
Said: “My mother, I’ve had enough
Of flowerets, hop it!
I want to have fun [for] once!
I can’t stay any longer
When this tune I hear to sing!” |
3rd verse |
Fifi e Nono Naneta
De buon rir’ s’en fan touplèn.
E toui, finda Miselieta,
Viron freneticamen.
Vague Cornevila!
Li campana fan: Ban! e bin!
De la Vieilla-Villa
Au Var, sentes que bouzin?
Per un moumen,
D’aqueu remon s’en souvendren. | | Fifi (7) and Nono Nanette (8)
Good laughs have a plenty.
And all, even miss Helyett (9),
Turn frenetically.
All right Corneville (10) then!
Bells do: Ding! and dong!
From Old-Town
To Var, do you hear what a racket?
For a while,
Of this row we will remenber. |
1. It is question here of the genre “operetta”.
2. Véronique (Veronica): operetta composed on 1898 by André Messager, libretto by Albert Vanloo and Georges Duval.
3. Le Petit Duc (The Little Duke): comic opera composed on 1878 by Charles Lecocq, libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy.
4. Les Mousquetaires au couvent (The Musketeers at the Convent): operetta composed on 1880 by Louis Varney, libretto by Jules Prével and Paul Ferrier.
5. Comte Obligado (Count Obligado): operetta composed on 1927 by Raoul Moretti, libretto by André Bourdonneau aka André Barde.
6. Rose-Marie (Rose-Mary): operetta composed on 1924 by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, libretto by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein. The French adaptation by Roger Ferréol and Saint-Granier is dated on 1927.
7. Fifi: character in Rêve de valse (Dream of Waltz), operetta composed by Oscar Straus, libretto by Felix Dörmann and Leopold Jacobson, French adaptation by Léon Xanrof and Jules Chancel.
8. Nono Nanette: American musical composed on 1925 by Vincent Youmans, lyrics Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, libretto by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel.
9. Miss Helyett: operetta composed on 1890 by Edmond Audran, libretto by Maxime Boucheron.
10. Les Cloches de Corneville (The Bells of Corneville): comic opera composed on 1877 by Robert Planquette, libretto by Clairville and Charles Gabet.
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