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Lou Pous  
(The Well)
Traditional song from County of Nice.
| 1st verse |
Un còu, un jouv’ et bèu galan,
Dapé d’un pous si proumenava.
Veniha de cuhi de flour
Per li pourtà au siéu amour. (twice) | | One time, a young and pretty lover,
Near a well was going for a stroll.
He just picked flowers
For bringing them to his love (twice). |
2nd verse |
Tout à l’entour d’aqueste pous
Li èra ’na peira lèvaïssa.
Lou pèn li venguèt à ’sparà,
Dintre lou pous s’anèt jità. (twice) | | All around this well
There was a drawn stone (1).
His foot slid,
In the well he launched himself. (twice) |
3rd verse |
Coura siguèt en de davau (2)
Cridav’ : « A Dièu, misericordia,
Cambarada vau à la mouort,
N’atrovi d’aiga fin au couol. » (twice) | | When he was down in the bottom
He shouted: “Farewell, mercy,
Friends, I’m going to death,
I’ve got water up to my neck.” (twice) |
4th verse |
Aquelu qu’èron d’ençamoun
Sabion plus cen que si faire ;
Li jitèron lou siéu mantèu :
« Cambarada, chape-ti lèu (3). » (twice) | | Those which were at the top
Didn’t know what to do;
They threw him his coat:
“Friend, catch it quickly.” (twice) |
5th verse |
Coura si trovèt dessamoun,
Auguèt un frei que tremoulava :
« Mena-mi lèu au miéu oustau
Aqui m’escauferai un pau. » (twice) | | When he was up again,
He was cold and shaking:
“Take me quickly to home
There, I’ll warm a little.” (twice) |
6th verse |
Lou jour d’après, lou bèu galan
Diguèt ensin à la siéu bella :
« Tené, Mïoun (4), aquelli flou.
Per vous mi sièu jità ’n lou pous. (twice) | | The day after, the pretty lover
Told in this way to his belle:
“Take, Mary, these flowers.
For you, I launched myself in the well. (twice) |
7th verse |
— En lou pous noun sarias toumbà
Li anessias embé la luna.
La lun’auria fà esclarcità,
En lou pous noun sarias toumbà. » (twice) | | — In the well you wouldn’t fall
If you went with the moon.
The moon would make light,
In the well you wouldn’t fall.” (twice) |
8th verse |
Ahura farai vout à Dièu
De noun aimà autant li filha (5) :
Mi cau quittà de calignà,
Que sièu sujet à li toumbà. (twice) | | Now I’ll vow to God
Not to love so much the girls:
I’ve to stop to pay court,
Because I prone to fall (6). (twice) |
1. I.e. pulled free, out of the ground.
2. In his Dictionnaire français-niçois, Georges Castellana gives the variant: Coura si trouvet dessavau... (When he was at the bottom...).
3. Georges Castellana, ibid., gives the variant: Cambarada, lèu, pita lèu... (Friend, quick, catch quickly...).
4. Manin, Mietta, Mïoun: diminutives for Mary, Mary-Ann. It’s also found the variant Tenè, mignoun’... (Take it, cutie...).
5. Georges Castellana, op. cit., gives the variant: Mi caurà fair’un vout à Diéu | De noun plus parlà à li filha (I’ll have to vow to God | Not to talk to the girls).
6. Li toumbà: play on words “to fall in the well” or “to fall in love”.
| Bibliography | | • | Delrieu (Georges), Anthologie de la chanson niçoise (Anthology of the Song from Nice), Nice, publisher Delrieu & Co, 1960, p. 110-111. | | • | 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. 226-227. |
See also Lou Galant dins lou pous.
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© 2001-2024 Jean-Gabriel Maurandi.
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