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Guihaume, Tòni, Pèire   , (bis) , (ter) , (quater)
(William, Tony, Peter)
Lyrics and music by Nicolas Saboly, known as Micoulau Sabòli. Traditional from Provence.
Christmas carol published post-mortem Nicolas Saboly. It appears with number 64 in the Fr. Seguin’s new edition.
Nicolas Saboly has proposed four versions for this Christmas carol, whose the 1st could be in actual fact by friar Sérapion, according to which Frédéric Mistral composed the provençal anthem Coupo santo.
| 1st verse |
Guihaume, Toni, Pèire,
Jaque, Glaude, Micoulau,
Vous an jamai fa vèire
Lou soulèu que pèr un trau (1).
Venès vite,
Courrès vite,
Qu’aquesto fes lou veirés tant que voudrés,
Pèr mai de dous o tres. | | William, Tony, Peter,
James, Claude, Nicholas,
You always have seen
The sun only trough a hole.
Come quickly,
Run quickly,
This time you will see it as much as you want,
For more than twice or three [times]. |
2nd verse |
Dins uno cabaneto
Traucado de tout coustat,
Sènso ges de luneto,
Diéu fai vèire sa clarta.
E sa Maire,
E sa Maire,
Qu’es auprès d’éu, lou soulèu près de si péu,
Semblarié qu’un calèu ! | | In a small cabin,
Pierced on all sides,
Without any glasses,
God let see his brightness.
And his Mother,
And his Mother,
Who stands near him, the sun near her hair,
Would look like only an oil lamp. |
3rd verse |
Quand miejo-nue sounavo,
Soumihave tout escas.
Nostre gros gau cantavo :
« Cacaraca ! Cacaraca ! »
Quaucun crido !
Quaucun crido !
Jan, lèvo-te ! Gros palet, abiho-te !
Escouto aquest moutet ! | | When midnight was ringing,
I was just falling asleep.
Our fat cock was singing:
“Cock-a-doodle-do! Cock-a-doodle-do!”
Somebody shouts!
Somebody shouts!
John, wake up! Big lazy (2), let you dress!
Listen to this motet! |
4th verse |
Sènso vèire persouno,
Au travers de moun chassis,
Ause l’ange qu’entouno :
« Gloria in excelsis !
Et in terra,
Et in terra... »
Tòu ! Patatòu ! Saute au sòu, de moun linçòu,
E courre coume un fòu. | | Without seeing anybody,
Through my frame,
I hear the angel striking up:
“Glory in the highest!
And on the earth,
And on the earth...”
Boom! Crash! I leap down on the ground, from my bed,
And I run as does a madman. |
5th verse |
Ai vist, noun vous desplase,
Un enfant dessus lou fen,
Un ome, un biòu, un ase,
A l’entour d’uno jacènt.
Que de joio !
Que de joio !
Dins aquéu liò, fan triò, e pèr ecò
L’ase respond : « Hi ! Ho ! » | | I’ve seen, whether you like it or not,
A child on hay,
A man, an ox, a donkey,
Around a new mother.
What a joy!
What a joy!
In this place, they do [a] trio, and as an echo
The donkey answers: “Heehaw!” |
6th verse |
Courrès, courrès, bregado !
Anas vèire coume iéu
La Vierge benurado
Qu’alacho leu Fiéu de Diéu.
Faudra dire,
Faudra dire
Quauco cansoun au Garçoun, a la façoun
D’aquelo de soum-soum. | | Run, run, rascals!
You are going to see as I did
The Blessed Virgin
Breast-feeding the Son of God.
We will need to tell,
We will need to tell,
Some song to the boy, like
This lullaby. |
1. Vous an jamai fa vèire lou soulèu que pèr un trau (“You always have seen the sun only trough a hole”): proverbial expression addressed to people who have never seen anything.
2. Palet: lazy, dawdler, slowcoach, slowpoke, groping with legs.
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