| |
Lou Gibous  
(The Hunchback)
Traditional from County of Nice.
| 1st verse |
Madaloun sus lou cantoun
Que si bressoulava. (twice)
Que si bressoulava d’aqui,
Que si bressoulava d’aià,
Que si bressoulava. (twice) | | Madelon (1) in the corner [of her house]
Was swinging. (twice)
Was swinging here,
Was swinging and there,
Was swinging. (twice) |
2nd verse |
Un gibous, marrit gibous,
Que la regarjava. (twice)
Que la regarjava d’aqui,
Que la regarjava d’aià,
Que la regarjava. (twice) | | An hunchback, bad hunchback,
Watching her. (twice)
Watching her here,
Watching her and there,
Watching her. (twice) |
3rd verse |
« Oh gibous, paure gibous,
Qu’as que mi regarjes ? » (twice)
(...) | | “O! hunchback, poor hunchback,
What’s the matter, watching me?” (twice)
(...) |
4th verse |
Madaloun pih’un coutèu,
Li coupa la giba. (twice)
(...) | | Madelon takes a knife,
Cuts his hump. (twice)
(...) |
5th verse |
Lou gibous s’en va cridant :
« Ai, ai, ai, la giba ! » (twice)
(...) | | The hunchback goes shouting:
“Ouch! ouch! ouch! the hump!” (twice)
(...) |
6th verse |
Lou gibous fa que plourà,
Di que vòu la giba. (twice)
(...) | | The hunchback doesn’t stop weeping,
He says he wants the hump. (twice)
(...) |
7th verse |
« Oh pegoun, brave pegoun,
Doun’un pòu de pega
Per coulà la giba d’aqui,
(...) » | | “O! cobbler (2), good cobbler,
Give a little wax
To stick the hump here,
(...)” |
8th verse |
Lou gibous s’en va countènt
D’avé mai la giba. (twice)
(...) | | The hunchback goes, glad
To get back the hump. (twice)
(...) |
9th verse |
Filha n’a ’gut tre enfant,
An toui tre la giba. (twice)
(...) | | [The] girl got three children by him,
They have the hump all three. (twice)
(...) |
1. Or Magdalen.
2. The pegoun is a bad cobbler or shoemaker, using more glue than thread! Cf. La Ben Caussada.
| Bibliography | | • | Delrieu (Georges), Anthologie de la chanson niçoise (Anthology of the Song from Nice), Nice, publisher Delrieu & Co, 1960, p. 47. | | • | 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. 136. |
Back music page - Top
© 2001-2024 Jean-Gabriel Maurandi.
|
