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Li a proun de gènt que van en roumavage   , (bis) , (ter) , (quater)
(There is a lot of people going on a pilgrimage)
or La cambo me fai mau (My leg does harm myself)
Lyrics and music by Nicolas Saboly, known as Micoulau Sabòli. Traditional from Provence.
Tune Toulerontonton.
Nicolas Saboly has proposed four versions for this Christmas carol, whose first one is on familiar tune Toulerontonton.
This Christmas carol has been published on 1668 in the 1st book. It appears with number 5 in the Fr. Seguin’s new edition.
The tune of this Christmas carol (version quater) was reused by Émile Goué (Châteauroux, june 13th 1904 - Neufmoutiers-en-Brie, october 10th 1946) in his “Noël languedocien” (Trois pièces faciles pour quatuor à cordes, op. 28) composed while he was in captivity during year 1941.
| 1st verse |
Li a proun de gènt
Que van en roumavage ;
Li a proun de gènt
Que van en Betelèn.
Li vole ana,
Ai quàsi proun courage ;
Li vole ana,
S’iéu pode camina. | | There is a lot of people
Going on a pilgrimage;
There is a lot of people
Going to Bethlehem.
I want to go,
I’ve enough courage;
I want to go,
If I can walk. |
Chorus |
La cambo me fai mau,
Bouto sello, bouto sello ;
La cambo me fai mau,
Bouto sello à moun chivau. | | My leg does harm myself,
Bouto sello, bouto sello (1);
My leg does harm myself,
Bouto sello to my horse. |
2nd verse |
Tous lei bergié
Qu’èron sus la mountagno,
Tous lei bergié
An vist un messagié
Que li a crida :
« Metès-vous en campagno ! »
Que li a crida :
« Lou Fiéu de Dieu es na ! » | | All the shepherds
That were on the mountain,
All the shepherds
Saw a messenger
Shouting them:
“Set to work!”
Shouting them:
“The son of God is born!” |
3rd verse |
En aquest tèm
Lei fèbre soun pas sano,
En aquest tèm
Lei fèbre valon rèn.
Ai endura
Uno fèbre quartano,
Ai endura
Sènso me rancura. | | At that time
Fevers aren’t healthy,
At that time
Fevers are worthless.
I endured
A quartan fever,
I endured [it]
Without growing stale (2). |
5th verse |
Un gros pastras
Que fai la catamiaulo,
Un gros pastras
S’en vai au pichot pas.
S’èi revira
Au brut de ma paraulo ;
S’èi revira,
Li ai di de m’espéra. | | A fat shepherd
Being a bit of a coaxer,
A fat shepherd
Going away by short steps.
He turned round
At the sound of my word,
He turned round,
I said him to wait for me. |
6th verse |
Aquéu palot
Descausso sei sabato,
Aquéu palot
S’en vai au grand galop.
Mai, se’n cop l’ai,
Li dounarai la grato,
Mai, se’n cop l’ai,
Iéu lou tapoutarai. | | This boor
Takes off his “worn-out old shoes”,
This boor
Goes at full gallop;
But, if I catch him once,
I’ll give him itchings;
But, if I catch him once,
I’ll tap him. |
4th verse |
Ai un roussin
Que volo dessus terro ;
Ai un roussin
Que manjo lou camin !
L’ai acheta
D’un que vèn de la guerro ;
L’ai acheta
Cinq escut de pata. | | I’ve a roussin (3)
Flying on earth;
I’ve a roussin
Swallowing the path!
I bought it
At somebody coming back from war;
I bought it
Five crowns of half farthing (4). |
7th verse |
Quand aurai vist
Lou Fiéu de Diéu lou Paire,
Quand aurai vist
Lou Rèi de Paradis
E quand aurai
Felecita sa maire,
E quand aurai
Fa tout ce que déurrai, | | When I’ll have seen
The son of God the Father,
When I’ll have seen
The king of paradise,
And when I’ll have
Congratulated his mother
And when I’ll have
Done all I had to do, |
Last chorus |
N’aurai plus gis de mau,
Bouto sello, bouto sello,
N’aurai plus gis de mau,
Bouto sello à moun chivau. | | I’ll not have hardly any harm,
Bouto sello, bouto sello,
I’ll not have hardly any harm,
Bouto sello to my horse. |
1. Bouto sello: trumpet call ordering formerly to troopers they had to saddle their horses.
2. I.e. without complain.
3. From Old French roncin, plough horse.
4. Pata (from Italian patacca, small change, thing without worth).
| Bibliography | | • | Saboly (Nicolas), first book of Christmas carols, Pierre Offray printer, Avignon, 1668. | | • | Saboly (Nicolas), Recueil des noëls composés en langue provençale (Collection of Christmas carols composed in Provençal language), reprint Fr. Seguin, printer and bookseller, Avignon, 1856, p. 7-9. |
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