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Lu Cougourdoun  
(The Small Gourds)
or Viva lou festin de li midineta (Long live the feast of young girls)
Nissart lyrics and music by François-Dominique Rondelly, known as Menica Rondelly. Traditional from County of Nice.
The feast of the cougourdoun (“the small gourds”) was held at Cimiez hill, on March 25st, where it gathered together the whole youth of the town of Nice.
See also Lu Cougourdoun, by Jouan Nicola and En calan de Cimiès, by Jouan Nicola.
Lu Cougourdoun as seen by Gustav Adolf Mossa. | | | 1st verse |
Es ancuei, bella Babeta,
Lou festin dei Cougourdouns.
Duerbe la tiéu fenestreta
Per audì lu rigoudoun ;
T’asperan à la mountada
De l’ancien pichin camin ;
Au cantoun de la virada
Doun coumençoun lu jardin. | | It’s today, pretty Elizabeth,
The feast of Small Gourds.
Open your small window
To hear the rigadoons;
We wait for you at the climb
Of the old small lane;
At the corner of the bend
Where begin the gardens. |
Chorus |
Viva lou festin
De li midineta !
Viva lou retour
Dòu printems d’amour !
Zou ! De bouon matin,
Garçoun e filheta,
Parten toui damoun
Per lu Cougourdoun ! | | Long live the feast
Of young girls!
Long live the return
Of spring of love!
Let go! Early in the morning,
Boys and young girls,
Let’s all go up there
For the Small Gourds! |
2nd verse |
À cent pas de la placeta,
Ben à gaucha, de coustà,
Aneren toui, en brasseta,
Au bel oste merendà.
À l’azur d’un ciel beat,
Li caressa dòu soulèu,
Mangiaren lou pan bagnat,
Doui bigneta, tre chaudèu. | | At one hundred paces from the little square,
Well on the left, sideways,
We all go, arm in arm,
To the nice inn [to] have tea.
Under azure of an happy sky
[And] caresses of the sun,
We will eat the “wet bread”,
Two fritters, three “scalded”. |
3rd verse |
Quitteren lou viei couvent,
Li baraca, baracoun,
Miech alegre, toui content,
E cadun m’au cougourdoun
Pilheren toui ben en fila,
E acò d’un pas laugié,
Lou bèu camin de la vila
Per si rendre à l’atelié. | | We will leave the old convent (1),
The sheds, the small cabins,
Half cheerful, all happy,
And everybody, with the small gourd,
We will set out in line,
And this with a light stap,
The beautiful lane to the town
To go to workshop (2). |
1. The convent on the hill of Cimiez.
2. To go back to work.
| Bibliography | | • | Delrieu (Georges), Anthologie de la chanson niçoise (Anthology of the Song from Nice), Nice, publisher Delrieu & Co, 1960, p. 96-97. | | • | 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. 90-91. | | • | revue Lou Sourgentin, Nice, n° 66, mars 1985, p. 22. |
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