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Doun Soulina  
(Dom Soulina)
(Priest Soulina)
Nissart lyrics and music by Louis Genari. Traditional from County of Nice.
| 1st verse |
Lou bouon preire Doun Soulina,
Qu’es curat à Cantaroun,
Dau decan de l’Escarena
A reçut envidacioun
Per lou gran past de la counfirmacioun.
Tant per si emplì la pansa
Que per plas’ à Mounsignour,
Ai bouo’i vin, à la pitança,
Mourre lec a sauput fair’ òunour ;
Ma tambèn l’oura s’avança,
Au vilage cau faire retour. | | The good priest Dom Soulina,
Who is country priest in Cantaron,
From the dean of l’Escarène
Received [an] invitation
To the great confirmation meal.
As for stuffing himself
As to please His Lordship,
To good wines, to sustenance,
Gourmet he did justice;
But time passes,
To the village it’s necessary to go back. |
Chorus |
La muleta que lou pouorta
Trota, trota, trota, trota,
Tra, ta ta, tra, ta ta, tra, ta ta, tra,
Ah que bella journada.
Entant la muleta trota,
Trota, trota, trota, trota,
Tra, ta ta, tra, ta ta, tra, ta ta, tra,
E que bella taulada ! | | The small (female) mule which carries him
Trots, trots, trots, trots,
Tra, ta ta, tra, ta ta, tra, ta ta, tra,
Ah! What a beautiful day.
(And always) the small mule trots,
Trots, trots, trots, trots,
Tra, ta ta, tra, ta ta, tra, ta ta, tra,
And what a beautiful table! |
2nd verse |
Denant lu siéu uès que brilon,
Tourna-mai passon lu plat :
Li raiola que resquilhon,
Lou civié tant perfumat,
Lou gros poulas que l’evesque a coupat,
Li primour que tant n’agrea
De s’en faire un plèn gamoun,
Pi la tourta qu’es de blèa
Per respèt de li tradicioun,
M’au champagne que petea
E fà crèisse l’alègre remoun. | | In front of his shining eyes,
Again pass the dishes:
The gliding raviolis,
The so flavoured stew,
The fat chicken that bishop cut,
The early vegetables which please us
[So much] that we full fill the gullet,
Then the pie, which is chard made
According to traditions,
With popping champagne
That makes the merry racket grow. |
3rd verse |
Pènsa, entant que s’esperlèca,
A li siéu soupa d’aiet,
A la merlussa tròu seca,
Au couos d’aiga per la set :
De vin n’en bèu qu’à la messa e qu’un det.
Ah, se d’una grossa cura
Auguesse un jour lou proufit,
La servènta, pas madura,
Li tendria lou taulié garnit
D’antipast, de counfitura
E de doba mé de bouo’i roustit. | | He thinks, while licking his lips,
To his garlic soups,
To the cod dried too much,
To the bucket of water for thirst:
Wine, he doesn’t drink only during mass, and a drop.
Ah! If of a large cure
He could have the benefit,
The maidservant, not middle-aged,
Would keep a well-stocked table
With starters, jams,
And stews with good roasts. |
4th verse |
Ma qu saup s’es la civada,
O l’estable o ’n repoumpèu,
Denant la gleia arribada
La muleta aqui, tant lèu,
Ti mand’ en l’ària un gran còu de rastèu.
Em’ au crèp que si devina,
Chavirat coum’ un gros fai,
Nouostre brave Doun Soulina,
Au mitan dei siéu bei pantai,
Pic’ en terra de l’esquina,
Sensa màncou poudé dire : Aih ! | | But who know if it is [because of] oats,
Or cowshed or an obstacle (jolt),
In front of the church arrived
The small mule, here, quickly,
Sends into the air a big blow of rake (1).
With the detonation it can be guessed,
Overturned as a big load,
Our good Dom Soulina,
In the middle of his beautiful dreams,
Falls down to the ground on his backbone,
Without being able to only say: Ouch! |
Last chorus |
Courron, courron li vesina,
Courron toui lu parrouquian,
Tra, ta ta, tra, ta ta, tra, ta ta, tra,
Ah ! Bèu Diéu cèn qu’arriba ?
L’ausson, li cascon la giba,
Ma éu di, remerciant :
« Bouoni frema, sias bèn bravi,
Tant-tout-un m’en calavi (2). » | | They run, they run, the neighbors,
They all run, the parishioners,
Tra, ta ta, tra, ta ta, tra, ta ta, tra,
Ah! My God! What happens?
They raise him, shake his bump,
But he says, thanking:
“Good women, you are nice,
Anyway, I was coming down.” |
1. Rastèu: rake, backbone, undulating crest. Here, it means hindquarters.
2. This expression is appropriate to save face in an unfortunate circumstance.
| Bibliography | | • | Delrieu (Georges), Anthologie de la chanson niçoise (Anthology of the Song from Nice), Nice, publisher Delrieu & Co, 1960, p. 66-67. | | • | 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. 98-99. |
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