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Lou Galant dins lou pous  
(The Gallant in the Well)
Traditional song from Provence, collected by Damase Arbaud.
This traditional song collected by Damase Arbaud has been published on 1864 in the 2nd book of traditional songs from Provence.
| 1st verse |
Qu voou entendr’ uno cansoun
De dous amics, dous camarados ?
L’amitié que n’avien tous dous (twice)
N’en semblavoun dous amourous. (twice) | | Who want to hear a song
Of two friends, two comrades?
[By] friendship they both had (twice)
They seemed two lovers. (twice) |
2nd verse |
— Camarad’, enanem se-n-en
Fair’ un bouquet à ma mestresso,
Anem culhir lou jaussemin (twice)
Avant de sourtir doou jardin. (twice) | | — Comrade, well let’s go
And make a bunch for my sweetheart,
Let’s pick jasmine (twice)
Before going out of the garden. (twice) |
3rd verse |
— Camarado, prend gard’ au pous
L’y a ’no peiro desemparado. »
N’en aguet pas culhit très brouts, (twice)
Lou galant toumbet dins lou pous. (twice) | | — Comrade, be careful of the well
There is a crippled stone (1).”
No sooner had he picked three sprigs (2) (twice)
[Than] the gallant fell into the well. (twice) |
4th verse |
Quand dins lou pous eou n’es istat
Crido : « Moun Diou ! Misericordi !
Misericordi, iou siou mouert (twice)
Me sente d’aigo jusqu’au couel ! » (twice) | | When in the well he was
He shouted: “My God! Mercy!
Mercy, I’m dead (twice)
I feel water up to my neck!” (twice) |
5th verse |
Soun camarad’ a courregut
Coumo se fousso soun bouen fraire,
L’y a trach lou bout de soun manteou : (twice)
« Camarado, tiro-te leou. » (twice) | | His friend has run
As if he was his nice brother,
He threw him the tip of his coat: (twice)
“Comrade, get quickly yourself out [of there].” (twice) |
6th verse |
Fouero lou pous quand es istat
N’avie un fred que tremouravo :
« Camarad’, enanem se-n-en, (twice)
Dissat’ au souar retournarem. » (twice) | | Out of the well when he was
He was [so] cold that he was shivering:
“Comrade, well let’s go, (twice)
Saturday on the evening we will come back.” (twice) |
7th verse |
Quand n’en ven lou dissat’ au souar,
Que les bouquets se presentavoun :
« Tenetz, mi’, un bouquet per vous, (twice)
Per vous siou toumbat dins lou pous. (twice) | | When came Saturday night,
When bunches were presented (3):
“Here, beloved, a bunch for you, (twice)
For you I fell into the well. (twice) |
8th verse |
— Dins lou pous seriatz pas toumbat
Se l’y anessiatz eme la luno,
La lun’ aurie fach claritat, (twice)
Dins lou pous seriatz pas toumbat. (twice) | | — In the well you didn’t fell
If you have gone there with the moon,
The moon should have made light (twice)
In the well you didn’t fell. (twice) |
9th verse |
— Douç’ amio, iou vese ben
Que per iou d’amour n’avetz gaire,
Diguetz-me votre surement (twice)
Se vous avetz changeat d’amant. (twice) | | — Sweet lady-love, I well see
That for me, love you have not really,
Tell me ‘your certainly’ (twice)
If you have changed your lover. (twice) |
10th verse |
Se vous avetz changeat d’amant
Iou pourrai changear de mestresso ;
Adiou, mio, adiou... bouen souar. (twice)
— Adiou, galant... jusqu’au revoir. » (twice) | | If you have changed your lover
I could change my sweetheart;
Farewell, beloved, farewell... good night. (twice)
— Farewell, gallant... until goodbye.” (twice) |
1. Desemparado: crippled, from old French emparer, to strengthen, to fortify. Here, the crippled stone is no more strengthened, i.e. it is pulled free.
2. Brout: young shoot of tree or shrub (from Germanic brust, bud).
3. Allusion to an old common custom, formerly spread in the whole Provence. On Saturday evening, young men gave to their sweetheart a bunch, whose these ones don’t forgot to adorn themselves with, the following day, at dances that occurred outdoors, at the end of church service.
| Bibliography | | • | Arbaud (Damase), Chants populaires de la Provence (Popular Songs from Provence), Aix, Makaire printer and publisher, series “Bibliothèque provençale – Chants populaires et historiques de la Provence”, volume II, 1864, p. 179-181. |
See also Lou Pous.
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