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Lei plus sage   , (bis) , (ter)
(The Wisest)
Lyrics and music by Nicolas Saboly, known as Micoulau Sabòli. Traditional from Provence.
Tune Est-on sage ? (Are we wise?)
Nicolas Saboly has proposed three versions for this Christmas carol, whose first one is on familiar tune Est-on sage ? (Are we wise?)
This Christmas carol begins/ends the 5th book holding 8 carols, published on 1671 by Michel Chastel. It appears with number 33 in the Fr. Seguin’s new edition.
| 1st verse |
Lei plus sage
Dòu vesinage,
Lei plus sage
E lei plus fin
Fan entèndre
Que divèndre
Lou Fiéu de Diéu es na de grand matin,
Que sa maire
L’es ana faire
Dins un estable sus lou grand camin. | | The wisest
Of the neighbourhood,
The wisest
And the finest
Make hear
That Friday
God’s Son was born early in the morning,
That his mother
Went to make him
In a cowshed along the great lane. |
2nd verse |
Iéu vous quite
Pèr li ana vite,
Iéu vous quite
E pièi m’envòu
Pèr li dire
(Mai sèns rire) :
« Sourtès d’eici, car iéu tramble de pòu
Que l’estable
Noun vous acable,
Car lei muraio van toutes au sòu. » | | I leave you
To go there quickly,
I leave you
And then I go away
To say him
(But without laughing):
“Go out from here, as I’m trembling with fear
The cowshed
Weigh down you,
Because walls are going to the ground (1).” |
3rd verse |
La vesprado
Mau fourtunado,
La vesprado
D’un jour fort bèu,
La malice
D’un aurice
Me li faguèt enclaure moun troupèu ;
Tout un caire
Toumbè, pechaire !
E m’enterrè tous mei pàureis agnèu. | | The afternoon
Misfortuned,
The afternoon
On a very nice day,
The mischievousness
Of a thunderstorm
Let me enclose there my flock;
A whole side
Fell, well! well!
And buried all my poor lambs. |
4th verse |
L’esperiènci,
Que passo sciènci,
L’esperiènci
De ce qu’ai vist
Es la causo
Que, sèns pauso,
Ai courregu vous dire moun avis.
Moun daumage
Vous rendra sage,
Belèu creirés un de vòsteis amis. | | The experience,
That overtakes science,
The experience
Of what I’ve seen
Is the cause
That, without rest,
I’ve run to tell you my opinion.
My harm
Will make you wise,
May be will you believe one among your friends. |
5th verse |
Me ravise
E me deidise,
Me ravise
De moun prepau ;
Ma pensado
Mau riblado
Me farié lèu passa pèr un badau.
Fau rèn cregne
Car Nostre Segne
Lei gardara segur de prendre mau. | | I change my mind
And I withdraw,
I change my mind
About my words;
My thought
Badly rendered
Could swiftly take me for an onlooker.
We have not to be frightened
Because Our Lord
Will certainly protect them to be taken ill. |
1. Lei muraio van toutes au sòu: understand here “the walls are falling in ruins”.
| Bibliography | | • | Saboly (Nicolas), Noés nouveous de l’an M. DC. LXXI. (New Christmas carols for the year 1671), Michel Chastel printer of His Holiness, Avignon, 1671, p. 2-4. | | • | Recueil des noëls composés en langue provençale (Collection of Christmas carols composed in Provençal language), reprint Fr. Seguin, printer and bookseller, Avignon, 1856, p. 40-41. |
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