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La Marcho di rèi  
(The Three Kings March)
Lyrics attributed to Joseph-François Domergue (1691-1729). Traditional from Provence.
Tune La marche du régiment de Turenne.
| 1st verse |
De matin,
Ai rescountra lou trin
De tres grand rèi qu’anavon en vouiage ;
De matin,
Ai rescountra lou trin
De tres grand rèi dessus lou grand camin.
Ai vist d’abord
De gardo-corp,
De gènt arma em’uno troupo de page ;
Ai vist d’abord
De gardo-cors,
Touti daura dessus si justo-corp. | | Early in the morning,
I met the pace
Of three great Magi that were going on a trip;
Early in the morning,
I met the pace
Of three great Magi on the large lane.
I first saw
Bodyguards,
Armed people with a troop of pageboys;
I first saw
Bodyguards,
Quite gilt over the jerkins (1). |
2nd verse |
Li drapèu,
Qu’èron segur fort bèu,
I ventoulé servien de badinage ;
Li camèu,
Qu’èron segur fort bèu,
Pourtavon de bijou touti nouvèu.
E li tambour,
Pèr faire ounour,
De tèms en tèms fasien brusi soun tapage ;
E li tambour,
Pèr faire ounour,
Batien la marcho chascun à soun tour. | | The flags,
That were of course very beautiful,
Their fanning was serving as a banter (2);
The camels,
That were certainly very beautiful,
Were carrying completely new jewels.
And the drums,
To honour,
From time to time were making their sound to rustle.
And the drums,
To honour,
Were beating the march in turn. |
3rd verse |
Dins un char
Daura de touto part,
Vesias li rèi moudèste coume d’ange ;
Dins un char
Daura de touto part,
Vesias bria de riche-z-estendard ;
Ausias d’auboues,
De bèlli voues
Que de moun Dièu publiavon li louange ;
Ausias d’auboues,
De bèlli voues
Que disien d’er d’un amirable choues. | | In a wagon
Gilt from all sides,
It was seen the Wise Men, modest as angels;
In a wagon
Gilt from all sides,
It was seen costly standards shining.
It was heard oboes,
Fine voices
That, of my God, were publishing the praises;
It was heard oboes,
Fine voices
That were telling tunes of an admirable choice. |
4th verse |
Esbahi
D’entèndre acò d’aqui,
Me siéu renja pèr vèire l’equipage ;
Esbahi
D’entèndre acò d’aqui,
De luèn en luèn li-z-ai toujou suivi ;
L’astre brian
Qu’èro davan
Servié de guido e menavo li tres mage ;
L’astre brian
Qu’èro davan
S’arrestè net quand fuguè vers l’enfant. | | Astounded
To hear that from here,
I stand aside to see the equipage;
Astounded
To hear that from here,
Here and there I’ve always paid attention to them.
The twinkling star
That was ahead
Was serving as a guide and was leading the three Magi;
The twinkling star
That was ahead
Stopped short when it was in front of the child. |
5th verse |
Intron pièi
Per adoura soun rèi,
A dous ginoun coumençon sa priero ;
Intron pièi
Per adoura soun rèi
E recounèisse sa divino lèi.
Gaspard d’abord
Presènto l’or
E di : « Moun Diéu, sias lou soulé rèi de glòri. »
Gaspard d’abord
Presènto l’or
E dis pertout que vèn cassa la mort. | | They come piously
To worship their Lord,
On both knees they start their prayer;
They come piously
To worship their Lord
And to recognize his divine law.
Gaspard first
Presents the gold
And says: “My God, you are the only king of glory.”
Gaspard first
Presents the gold
And says everywhere He comes to chase away the death. |
6th verse |
Per presèn
Melchior oùfro l’encèn
En ié disen : « Sias lou Diéu di-z-armado. »
Per presèn
Melchior oùfro l’encèn,
Disen : « Sias rèi e sias Diéu tout ensen. »
La paureta,
L’umulita,
De voste amour nin soun li provo assurado ;
La paureta,
L’umulita
N’empachon pas vosto Divinita. | | As a gift
Melchior offers incense
Saying to Him: “You are God of the armies.”
As a gift
Melchior offers incense
Saying: “You are king and you are God at once.”
The poverty,
The humility,
Of your love they are the sure proof;
The poverty,
The humility
Don’t prevent your divinity. |
7th verse |
Quant à iéu,
N’en plour, moun bon Diéu !
En sangloutant vous presènte la mirrho ;
Quant à iéu,
N’en plour, moun bon Diéu !
De ié sounja, siéu pu mort que viéu ;
Un jour, per nous,
Sus uno croux,
Coumé mourtau, fenirés nosti misèro ;
Un jour, per nous,
Sus uno crous,
Devès mouri per lou salut de tous. | | As for me (3),
I weep about it, my good Lord!
While sobbing, I present you the myrrh;
As for me,
I weep about it, my good Lord!
By just thinking about that, I’m frightened to death;
One day, for us,
On a cross,
As a mortal, you’ll end our woe;
One day, for us,
On a cross,
You have to die for the salvation of all of us. |
8th verse |
Aujourd’huèi
Es adoura di rèi
E bateja di man de Jan-Batisto ;
Aujourd’huèi
Es adoura di rèi,
Tout l’univer se soumés a sa lèi.
Dins un festin
Rènd l’aigo en vin :
Aquèu miracle es segur bèn de requisto ;
Dins un festin
Rènd l’aigo en vin :
Nous manifèsto soun poudé divin. | | Today
He is worshipped by the Three Kings
And christened by John the Baptist’s hands;
Today
He is worshipped by the Three Kings,
The whole universe submits to his law.
In a feast
He changes water to wine:
This miracle is of course well necessary;
In a feast
He changes water to wine:
He demonstrates to us his divine power. |
1. Doublet fitted at the waist, with skirts and sleeves, in use on 17th century.
2. I.e. their undulations were giving the procession a light gaiety, a cheerful character.
3. After Gaspard then Melchior in the previous verses, it’s now Belshazzar (the third of the Three Kings) speaking in this verse.
| Bibliography | | • | Recueil de noëls provençaux, composés par le Sieur Nicolas Saboly, Avignon, Jean Chaillot imprimeur-libraire, 1807, p. 112-115. |
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© 2001-2025 Jean-Gabriel Maurandi.
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