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Lou dangié d’amour  
(The Danger of Love)
Nissart lyrics and music by Pierre Devoluy. Traditional from County of Nice.
Within this text written in gavot (i.e. in Nissart from the hinterland), the endings “o” –amigo, espado, Margarido, mountagno, etc.– are the feminine marks of this language.
| 1st verse |
Adaut, sus la mountagno,
Ai entendu plourà. (twice)
Aco’s la voues de moun amigo,
M’en vau la counsoulà. | | Up there, on the mountain,
I’ve heard weeping. (twice)
This is the voice of my friend,
I’m going to console her. |
2nd verse |
— De, qu’avès, Margarido,
Que vous fai tan plourà ? (twice)
— Ai ! Se iéu plour’ ansin souleto,
Es d’un qu’ai trop ama. | | — Tell me, what is the matter, Margaret,
What makes you crying so much? (twice)
— Ah! If I weep in this way, alone,
It’s because of one I’ve loved too much. |
3rd verse |
— Digas-me, Margarido,
Quàu es qu’avès ama ? (twice)
— Ah ! Lou noum de moun calignaire,
Iéu vous lou dirai pas. | | — Tell me, Margaret,
Who have you loved? (twice)
— Ah! The name of my lover,
Me, I’ll not say you. |
4th verse |
— Es que porto l’espado
O lou bastoun ferra ? (twice)
— Porto l’amour dins si parpello
Quand vèn me vesità. | | — Does he bear the sword
Or the steel-tipped stick (1)? (twice)
— He wears love in his eyelids
When he comes to visit me. |
5th verse |
— Se voulès, Margarido,
Vous l’anarai cercà. (twice)
— Bèu pastrihoun, sus la marino
Faudrié vous esmarà. | | — If you want, Margaret,
I’ll go and look for him. (twice)
— Handsome little shepherd, in the navy
You should have to enlist (2). |
6th verse |
— Per anà dins lis isclo,
Armarai un batèu. (twice)
Vous adurrai voste fringaire
Tout uscla dòu soulèu. | | — To go to islands,
I’ll fit out a boat. (twice)
I’ll bring back your lover (3)
Quite blazed with the sun. |
7th verse |
— Pas besoun d’un navire,
Bèu pastre, anas-ié plan. (twice)
Mai vous regarde e mai me sèmblo
Qu’avès soun biais galant. | | — No need of a ship,
Nice shepherd, gently does it. (twice)
The more I look at you, the more it seems to me
You have got his bias (4). |
8th verse |
— Se n’es ansin, o bello,
Secas vosti bèus iue. (twice)
Regardas-me, que iéu vous ame,
Lou jour coume la niue. | | — If so, o belle,
Dry your beautiful eyes. (twice)
Look at me, as I love you,
Day as well as night. |
9th verse |
— Jouvènt, li fedo chaumon,
Devalas vitamen ; (twice)
Dounas-vous siuen di loup raubaïre,
Trèvon d’aquest moumen. | | — Young [man], ewes are calling,
Tear down quickly; (twice)
Keep away from thievish wolves,
They are spawning (5) at the moment. |
10th verse |
— Li moutoun dins la plano
Soun au dangié dòu loup, (twice)
Mai, vous e iéu, bello pastresso,
Sian au dangié d’amour. | | — Sheep in the plains
Are [exposed] to danger of the wolf, (twice)
But, you and me, beautiful shepherdess,
We are [exposed] to danger of love. |
1. I.e. “Is he a soldier or a shepherd?”
2. Esmarà: in the literal, means “going into the sea”.
3. Fringaire: dancer, lover, sweetheart (from Provençal fringà, to hop, to skip).
4. His profile, i.e. “You look like him”.
5. Trevà: to spawn, to go around with, to haunt, to have contacts with.
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© 2001-2024 Jean-Gabriel Maurandi.
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