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L’Iver
(Winter)
Nissart lyrics by Eugène Emanuel. Traditional from County of Nice.
| 1st verse |
Fa freï. L’iver destende su la plana
Lo sièu mantèu tan blanc e tan pelat.
E l’aquilon, furious, descadenat,
Ven menaçà la mièu pàura cabana.
Venès toui près dou fugaïron,
Don la rama petilla
E la flamma jà brilla,
Bravà la nèu e l’aquilon. | | It’s cold. Winter stretches away on the plain
Its snowcoat so white and so bare (1).
And north wind (2), furious, raging,
Comes and threaten my poor cabin.
Come all of you near the hearth,
Where bough is crackling
And the flame already blazes,
And brave snow and north wind. |
2nd verse |
Fa pena a véire en la nuostra campagna,
Ren de verdura e ren per rallegrà ;
Lu passeron non s’àudon plus cantà,
Non li a plus ni bousquet ni baragna.
Ah ! Venès près dou fugaïron,
Don la rama petilla
E la flamma jà brilla,
Bravà la nèu e l’aquilon. | | It hurts to see it in our landscape,
No more greenery and nothing to gladden [us];
Passerines are no more heard singing,
There is no grove, no thicket.
Ah! Come near the hearth,
Where bough is crackling
And the flame already blazes,
And brave snow and north wind. |
3rd verse |
Oh ! Quanti fes, una banda joïoua
Ven visità la chambra de Martin ;
Rïen, cantan jusqu’àu nouvèu matin,
Tout en vuan quàuca buona poussoua.
E, groupat près dou fugaïron,
Don la rama petilla
E la flamma jà brilla,
Bravan la nèu e l’aquilon. | | Oh! How many times a merry band
Came and visit the room of Martin;
Laughing, singing up to new morning,
While emptying some good “potions (3)”
And, gathered near the hearth,
Where bough is crackling
And the flame already blazes,
Let’s brave snow and north wind. |
4th verse |
Nevava, un soir : la tourmenta era fuorta.
Un voyajur venguèt a m’emplorà
En mi dien : « Durbèmi, per pietà,
Que vàu mouri de freï a vuostra puorta !
— Intras, li digueri, a maïon,
Don la rama petilla
E la flamma jà brilla,
Partagen soupa e fugaïron ! » | | It was snowing, an evening: the snowstorm was strong.
A traveller was reduced to implore me
Saying me: “Open the door, for pity’s sake!
As I am dieing of exposure at your door!
— Come in, I said, in the house,
Where bough is crackling
And the flame already blazes,
Let’s share soup and hearth.” |
1. Pelat: bare, i.e. rare or parched, dried out vegetation.
2. Aquiloun: (poetical) wind blowing from north.
3. Poussoua: may be poucioun (potion), ou pousso (teat), meaning “to have a drink or a jar”.
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