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Mazurka souta l’oulivié  
(Mazurka under the olive tree)
Nissart lyrics and music by Georges Delrieu. Traditional from County of Nice.
Watercolour by Gustav Adolf Mossa published in Souta l’oulivié (“Under the olive tree”) by Georges Delrieu and Henri Carol, ed. Delrieu frères, to illustrate Mazurka souta l’oulivié. | | 1st verse |
D’incant, au bal, ome, frema, jouve, fiha,
Ballèn, cantèn ai floun-flouns dai musicant,
E toui ensèn anèn virà dins la dansa.
Cantèn, ballèn, a l’oumbra dai oulivié. | | In raptures, at the open-air dance, men, women, young, girls,
Let us dance, let us sing, with oompahs from the musicians,
And all together let us turn in the dance.
Let us sing, let us dance, in the shade of the olive trees. |
Chorus |
Souta l’oulivié e l’auciprié
Au bal boussounié, ballèn !
Virès, ballerina, soubre l’erba fina,
Lou jour tout entié, ballèn !
À la souloumbrina pi en l’escurcina
Souta l’oulivié, ballèn ! | | Under the olive tree and the cypress
At the open-air dance, let us dance!
Let you turn, ballerinas, on the fine grass,
All the day long, let us dance!
In the half-light then in the dark night
Under the olive tree, let us dance! |
2nd verse |
Un jouve :
« Voulès ballà embé iéu, madoumaisella ?
Voulès ballà ? Mi farès touplèn plasi.
Una fiha :
— Scusas, moussù, counouissi gaire ’sta dansa.
E pi, bessai, mamà mi permette pas. | | A young man:
“Do you want to dance with me, miss?
Do you want to dance? You would highly please me.
A young lady:
— Excuse me, sir, I don’t really know this dance.
And, may be, mum doesn’t permit me. |
3rd verse |
Un jouve :
— Tant ric tartan dèu curbi d’espala suèli !
Cairèu tant bèu dèu curbi de fin chivus !
Una fiha :
— Voulès, moussù, voulès ben estaire chutou !
Siguès attènt, escoutas lu musicant. | | A young man:
— Such a rich shawl may cover smooth shoulders!
Such a beautiful fanchon may cover fine hair!
A young lady:
— Would you like, sir, would you like to be quiet!
Be attentive, listen to the musicians. |
4th verse |
Un jouve :
— Mi permettès en tant que sièn dins la dansa
De vous baià ? Degun s’en aviserà.
Una fiha :
— Plan, plan, moussù ! Li a mamà que n’en regarja !
Tenè-vous bèn, sens’ aco noun revendrai. | | A young man:
— Do you permit me, while we are dancing,
To kiss you? Nobody will notice.
A young lady:
— Gently, sir! Mum is looking at us!
Behave well, otherwise I shall not come back. |
5th verse |
Un jouve :
— Es gair’ aisat per aici de tout si dire.
Deman, dilun, en Castèu lou vous dirai.
Una fiha :
— A noun, moussù, lou dilun couli bugada,
Pi, en Castèu, noun li vau... que lou dimars ! » | | A young man:
— It’s not easy around here to tell all each other.
Tomorrow, Monday, at the Castle I shall say it to you.
A young lady:
— Oh no, sir, on Monday (1) I ‘flow the steam’,
And besides, to the Castle, I go... only on Tuesday!” |
1. In numerous regions, Monday became the washday around the early 20th century. (See for instance Yvonne Verdier, Façons de dire, façons de faire...)
| Bibliography | | • | Delrieu (Georges), Anthologie de la chanson niçoise (Anthology of the Song from Nice), Nice, publisher Delrieu & Co, 1960, p. 160-161. | | • | 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. 162-163. |
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