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Lou Trau
(The Hole)
Nissart lyrics by Eugène Emanuel. Traditional from County of Nice.
| 1st verse |
Oui, canti lo pertus
Per qu mi soupi e dini ;
E se per l’ueil la lus
Recevi, e ensin camini,
Lo devi àu tràu,
Coma tout animàu. | | Yes, I sing the opening
By which I have supper and I have dinner;
And if through my eye the light
I receive, and so I walk,
I owe it to hole,
As every animal. |
2nd verse |
D’un tràu suorte la vous
Qu’anima, que consuola,
Lo baïa lo plus dous,
Lo sospir que s’envola.
Aimable tràu !
Ti laudà cu es que sàu ? | | From a hole goes out the voice
That leads, that consoles,
The kiss the sweetest,
The sigh blowing away.
Nice hole!
To praise you, who knows? |
3rd verse |
Au temple, àu tribunal,
Dei dot en compagnia,
Au teatre, en lu bal,
L’uès, la bouca, l’auria
Son lu tre tràu
Que tenon l’ome esclàu. | | At temple (1), at court,
In company with scholars (2),
At theatre, at (open-air) dances,
The eye, the mouth, the ear
Are the three holes
That keep man slave. |
4th verse |
Se de li belli flou
Lo parfum si respira,
O l’agreable oudou
De la brocha que vira,
Es per lo tràu
Dòu nas, aco si sàu. | | If of beautiful flowers
The perfume is breathed,
Or the pleasant smell
Of the spit turning,
It’s by the hole
Of the nose, that is known. |
5th verse |
Lo tràu regna en signour
Su lu cham de batailla :
Abatte, tour-à-tour,
Defende li murailla ;
E sensa un tràu
Un drapèu, qu’es que vàu ? | | The hole reigns as does a lord
On battlefields:
It knocks down, in turn,
It defends high walls;
And without a hole
A flag, what does it worth? |
6th verse |
Se poudès, renonças
Au pertus de l’aguilla,
E vito vou trouvas
Jusque sensa camïa ;
Un pichon tràu
Veste tout un ostàu. | | If you can, renounce
The eye of needle,
And quickly you find yourself
Without a shirt;
A small hole
Clothes a whole household. |
7th verse |
Su lo liech de doulou,
Se l’ome si demena,
Que fa quasi toujou ?
Si fa tràuca una vena.
Garisse, un tràu,
Non sabi quantu màu ! | | On his bed of pain,
If the man thrashes,
What does he do quite always?
He has a vein pierced.
It heals, a hole,
I don’t know how many harms. |
8th verse |
Un tràu per si casà
Cercan touta la vida,
Ma non pouden quietà
Jusqu’à coursa accomplida ;
Alora, un tràu
N’en dona lo repàu ! | | A hole to put up
We look for all the life,
But we can’t calm down [us]
Before the course [is] accomplished;
So, a hole
Gives us [everlasting] rest! |
1. Here, understand “the church”.
2. Dot: learned, i.e. having extensive knowledge, particularly in literary or historical matter.
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