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La Descaussa  
(The Barefooted)
Nissart lyrics and music by Louis Genari. Traditional from County of Nice.
| 1st verse |
Denan la fèsta acabaia,
Tra la la, la deri derà,
La descaussa va balaia,
Tra la la, la deri derà. | | Before the feast finishes,
Tra la la, la deri derà,
The barefooted (1) is going to dance,
Tra la la, la deri derà. |
Chorus |
Aï ! Lou pon,
L’enfant, lou cabon,
Lou Castèl, lou pouont !
Deman béurèn à la fouont. (twice) | | Ouch! The pon,
The child, the cabon,
The castel, the bridge!
Tomorrow, we will drink at the spring. (twice) |
2nd verse |
Nouestrei fremai soun courcaia,
Tra la la, la deri derà,
Li avèn laissà li braia,
Tra la la, la deri derà. | | Our wives are put to bed,
Tra la la, la deri derà,
We left them the breeches (2),
Tra la la, la deri derà. |
3rd verse |
Dòu bouon vin de la valaia,
Tra la la...
Una bouta ai avalaia,
Tra la la... | | Of the good wine from the valley,
Tra la la...
A barrel I swallowed,
Tra la la... |
4th verse |
De merlussa à la sartaia,
Tra la la...
Mi sièu fach una pansaia,
Tra la la... | | Of fried cod,
Tra la la...
I stuffed myself on it,
Tra la la... |
5th verse |
Me de trule una councaia,
Tra la la...
Ai doublat la miéu ventraia,
Tra la la... | | With black pudding with herbs [full] a conch,
Tra la la...
I doubled my bellyful,
Tra la la... |
6th verse |
La tiéu camisa es brutaia,
Tra la la...
La cal metre à la bugaia,
Tra la la... | | Your shirt is dirty,
Tra la la...
It’s necessary to put it in the wash,
Tra la la... |
7th verse |
E la tiéu es pertuaia,
Tra la la...
Quauque gari l’a rouiaia,
Tra la la... | | And yours is pierced,
Tra la la...
Some rat gnawed it,
Tra la la... |
8th verse |
La miéu va courduraia,
Tra la la...
Emb’un pet l’ai esgaraia,
Tra la la... | | Mine is going [to be] sewed,
Tra la la...
With a fart I tore it,
Tra la la... |
9th verse |
La coumaire Reparaia,
Tra la la...
Tantus còu l’ai bèn beisaia,
Tra la la... | | The gossip Réparate (3),
Tra la la...
So many times I kissed her,
Tra la la... |
10th verse |
D’aquèu pissandrous que raia,
Tra la la...
La descaussa va bagnaia,
Tra la la... | | From this pissandrous (4) that thin flows,
Tra la la...
The barefooted is getting wet,
Tra la la... |
1. In his Dictionnaire niçois-français, Georges Castellana gives: descaussa = sort of farandole.
2. From Gaulish braca (ca. 1172), forerunner for hose, boxer shorts, leggings...
3. Literally: “the one who repairs, who mends”.
4. Literally: “dandelion”. See also Ma bruneta.
| Bibliography | | • | Delrieu (Georges), Anthologie de la chanson niçoise (Anthology of the Song from Nice), Nice, publisher Delrieu & Co, 1960, p. 266-267. | | • | 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. 92-93. |
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