| |
Flou de Nissa  
(Flower of Nice)
Nissart lyrics by Jane Bermond, music by Louis Raspini. Traditional from County of Nice.
The French original lyrics by Pierre Chaffange are not reproduced here. The text given corresponds to the literal translation from the version in Nissart.
| 1st verse |
La nouostra bella paisaneta,
Dòu sièu pas lest, de bouon matin,
S’en va cuhi li viouleta,
Lou resedà, lou daissemin.
Se la veguessias sus l’erbeta
O sus lou prat, en lu valloun,
Lu sièu bei uei, l’aria couqueta
Farion perdre la rasoun. | | Our pretty peasant girl,
Nimble-footed, early in the morning,
Goes to pick up violets,
Reseda, jasmine.
If you could see her on the grass
Or on the meadow, in the small valleys,
Her beautiful eyes, her smart appearance
Would lead you out of your right mind. |
Chorus |
Es una flou de Nissa,
Fiha dòu gai printemp,
Remplida d’allegressa
E toujou si riènt.
Es una flou de Nissa
Au couor tendre e joious,
Ma se douna l’ivressa,
Poudès veire toujou
Que la flou,
Bella flou,
La sièu rouseta d’òudou,
Que la flou,
La sièu flou,
Noun si cueia toui lu jou. | | She is a flower of Nice,
Daughter of the cheerful spring,
Full of elation
And always laughing.
She is a flower of Nice
Tender and merry-hearted,
But if she gives rapture,
You can see always
That the flower,
Beautiful flower,
Her small rose (1) of smell (2),
That the flower,
Her flower,
Is not to be picked up every day. |
2nd verse |
Pouorta velut à la paisana,
La gran crous d’or au cadenoun,
Dous souveni de sa maigrana,
E à raia lou coutihoun.
Coum’ella jamai noun si farda :
Admiras toui lou mourin pur
De la bouquetièra nissarda,
Fluroun de la Riba d’Azur. | | She wears velvet like peasants,
The large cross at the small chain (3),
Sweet keepsake of her grandmother,
And the striped skirt (4).
As her, she never uses make-up:
Let all of you admire the pure little face
Of the flower girl (5) from Nice,
Jewel of the French Riviera. |
3rd verse |
Ella n’es de touti li festa,
De toui lu bal, plena d’entren.
Soun dever de fiheta ounesta
L’acoumplisse discrètamen !
Adora lou rire e la dansa,
Lu cant dòu nouastre bèu pahis,
De l’amour canta la roumansa
E de Nissa n’es lou redris. | | She is in all the feasts,
All the dances, having plenty of drive.
Her duty of honest girl,
She carries out discreetly!
She likes laughing and dancing,
The songs of our beautiful country,
Of love she sings the romance,
And of Nice she is the pride. |
1. See also La Rouseta de Nanoun.
2. Jane Bermond prefered the euphemism òudou (smell) in place of real meaning ounour (honour), that could have shocked in this early 20th century!
3. As does Ann in La Rouseta de Nanoun.
4. Coutilhoun: petticoat, underskirt. In fact, the red and white striped skirt.
5. See also La Bella Bouquetiera.
Back music page - Top
© 2001-2024 Jean-Gabriel Maurandi.
|
