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La Chavana (The Shower) Nissart lyrics by Eugène Emanuel. Traditional from County of Nice.
The French original lyrics by René d’Helbingue are not reproduced here. The text given corresponds to the literal translation from the version in Nissart.
1st verse |
Ai ! Lou ciel s’embrunisse, Lou soulèu s’escurcisse, Plan que la nièu s’esquisse Que bagne lou valoun. De souta la sièu fueia Lou babi si reveia, Sente venì la plueia, Entona ’na cansoun, la, la, (twice) | | Ow! The sky darkens, The sun grows dark, Slowly the storm clouds crush, That wash the small valley. From under its leaf The toad wakes up, It feels the rain coming, It strikes up a song, la, la, (twice) |
2nd verse |
Lou vent su la mountagna Si despera, si lagna, Ploura couma la cagna Qu’a perdut un pichoun. Lou tron su de timbala, Soubre de grossi mala Fa regoulà de bala, De bala de canoun, la, la, (twice) | | The wind on the mountain Despairs, grumbles, It weeps as does the bitch That lost a pup. The thunder on kettledrums, On large trunks Makes bullets to roll, Bullets of gun, la, la, (twice) |
3rd verse |
E per avé un passage Esgarra lu nuage E pouorta lou ravage En lou nouostre valoun. Ai ! La paura filleta Qu’èra anada souleta Per faire un pòu d’erbeta Tremouola en un cantoun, la, la, (twice) | | And to get a passage It tears up the clouds And brings the devastation In our small valley. Ow! The poor young girl That went alone To pick up grass Shivers in a part, la, la, (twice) |
4th verse |
E la pluèia fouetta Embé de co’ de bleta Lou gran e la faveta Que creisse en lou valoun. Pi, lou tourent mugisse, Au gros boucan s’unisse, S’empouorta, si sesisse De terra e de maioun, la, la, (twice) | | And the rain lashes With strikes of riding crop The wheat and the small French bean That grow in the small valley. Then, the torrent roars, To the great row joins, Bolts, catches Earth and houses, la, la, (twice) |
5th verse |
E lou paisan si ploura En veèn en un’oura Anà tout en maloura, Lou pan dai sièu pichoun. « S’aiçote gaire dura, Adiéu à la verdura, À la rica parura Dòu nouostre valoun, la, la, » (twice) | | And the peasant weeps Seeing in one hour Everything going to calamity, The bread of his sons. “If this lasts too long, Goodbye to the greenery, To the rich finery Of our small valley, la, la,” (twice) |
6th verse |
Ma lou ciel s’esclarcisse, Lou mount si coulourisse, La flou que s’esplandisse, Ranima lou valoun. De souta la sièu fueia Doun a bravat la pluèia, Lou lièucre si reveia E chièuna una cansoun, la, la, (twice) | | But the sky clears up, The mountain colours itself, The flower opening out Brightens the small valley. From under its leaf Where it braved the rain, The goldfinch awakes And chirps a song, la, la, (twice) |
The Armanac niçart (cf. under, § Bibliography) gives the following additional verse:
7th verse |
La chavana es passada, La Vierge l’a scassada ; La vida es redonada Aù nuostre bèu vallon. Li flou de la preria Li pourten à Maria, E vàutri, belli filla, Cantali un’orassion ! | | The shower is gone, The Virgin chased it away; Life is given back To our small valley. The flowers from the meadow We bring to Mary, And you, pretty girls, Sing her an orison! |
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