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En sourtènt de l’estable  
(While going out from the cowshed)
Lyrics and music by Nicolas Saboly, known as Micoulau Sabòli. Traditional from Provence.
Christmas carol published post-mortem Nicolas Saboly. It appears with number 63 in the Fr. Seguin’s new edition.
| 1st verse |
En sourtènt de l’estable
Vounte Diéu es na,
Ai rescountra lou diable,
L’ai arresouna.
M’a di qu’èro amoulaire,
Lou laire! Lou laire!
Que savié bèn faire
Lou gagno-petit.
E zi! zi! zi! zi! | | While going out from the cowshed
Where God was born,
I met the Devil,
I spoke him severely.
He said me he is knife-grinder,
The thief (1)! The thief!
That he knew how to well do
The low wage earner (2).
And zi (3)! zi! zi! zi! |
2nd verse |
Qui vòu ana ’la guerro,
Li dono d’argènt,
Pèr despoupla la terro,
Pèr tua proun de gènt!
D’espasos à l’antico,
De pico, de pico,
N’i’a dins la boutico
Dòu gagno-petit.
E zi! zi! zi! zi! | | Who wants to go to war,
Comes into money,
For depopulating the Earth,
For killing many people!
Swords like classical style,
Pikes, spears,
There are in the shop
Of the low wage earner.
And zi! zi! zi! zi! |
3rd verse |
Ça! ça! coupur de bourso,
Aro venès lèu
Vers iéu, que siéu la sourço
Dei meiour coutèu;
E quand iéu leis amole,
Iéu vole, iéu vole.
N’es-ti pas bèn drole
Lou gagno-petit?
E zi! zi! zi! zi! | | It! It! Purse snatchers,
Now quickly come
To me, because I’m the source (4)
Of the best knives;
And me, when I’m sharpening them,
I fly, I fly,
Isn’t he well funny
The low wage earner?
And zi! zi! zi! zi! |
4th verse |
De matin, davans l’aubo,
Passe lei cisèu
D’aquélei que fan raubo,
Perpoun e mantèu:
Siéu causo que travaion,
Que taion, que taion,
E souvènt se raion
Dòu gagno-petit.
E zi! zi! zi! zi! | | Early in the morning, before dawn,
I prepare the knives
Of these ones who make thefts,
Doublets and coats:
I’m the cause they work,
They cut, they cut,
And often they scoff
At the low wage earner.
And zi! zi! zi! zi! |
5th verse |
Lou bon Jóusè se pico
Qu’aquel infernau,
Ague leva boutico
Davans soun oustau;
Èu sauto la rigolo,
E volo, e volo,
Fai roula lei molo
Dòu gagno-petit.
E zi! zi! zi! zi! | | The well Joseph feels offended
By this disorder,
To have put up shop
In front of his house;
He, he jumps over the rivulet,
And flys, and flys,
Make the grindstones wheel
Of the low wage earner.
And zi! zi! zi! zi! |
1. Laire: thief, knave, rascal, rogue.
2. Gagno-petit: person whose job brings in very little, or who has no ambitions.
3. Zi: onomatopoeia simulating the rubbing of the steel blade on the knife-grinder’s grindstone.
4. La sourço: the source, i.e. the supplier.
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