D’argent à une aigle de gueules, au vol abaissé, membrée, becquée et couronnée d’or, empiétant une montagne de trois coupeaux de sable issant d’une mer d’azur mouvant de la pointe et ondée d’argent.

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About fife from Nice - The musical traditions from County of Nice (MTCN)Traditional music from County of Nice (France)
Lou Mès de mai dins A lou fifre nissart - Li tradicioun musicali de la countéa de Nissa (MTCN)
Lou Mès de mai dans Au fifre niçois - Les traditions musicales du comté de Nice (MTCN)
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Lou Mès de mai listen the Midi file for this traditional music tune score of this traditional tune
(The Month of May)
Traditional song from Saint-Dalmas-de-Valdeblore, County of Nice.

Within the text of this nostalgic song written in gavot (i.e. in nissart from the hinterland), the endings “o” –bello, cimo, despartenço, filho, poumo, etc.– are the feminine marks of this language, and aprocho, douno, marido, mounto, etc. correspond to the 3rd singular person in the indicative present.

1st verse                               
Lou mès d’abril s’en va (twice)
Lou mès de mai s’aprocho
À l’aviroun dal mai,
Lou mès de mai s’aprocho
À la cimo dal mai.
 The month of April is going away (twice)
The month of May is coming up
Around the May-tree,
The month of May is coming up
At the top of the May-tree.

2nd verse                               
Lou sata lou plantié (twice)
Dimenche flourissié
À l’aviroun dal mai,
Dimenche flourissié
A la cimo dal mai.
 On Saturday it (1) was planted (twice)
On Sunday it was blossoming
Around the May-tree,
On Sunday it was blossoming
At the top of the May-tree.

3rd verse                               
En cimo d’aquel mai (twice)
Très poumo d’aurangeios (...)
 At the top of this May-tree (twice)
[Are] three apples of orange tree (...)

4th verse                               
Lou galant mounto sus (twice)
S’a chausi la pu bello (...)
 The gallant climbs up (twice)
He chose the most beautiful for him (...)

5th verse                               
A la cimo dal mai (twice)
N’a pres un’ al chapel (...)
 At the top of the May-tree (twice)
He took one at the chapel (...)

6th verse                               
Sia dich : « Bello, tené, (twice)
Aici la despartenço (...)
 So be it: “Beauty, look, (twice)
Here is the distribution (...)

7th verse                               
— Que despartenço soun ? (twice)
— Moun paire mi marido (...)
 — What distribution? (twice)
— My father gets me married (...)

8th verse                               
« Ma noun mi douno vous, (twice)
Mi douno un’ altro filho (...)
 “But he doesn’t give [to] you, (twice)
He gives me another girl (...)

9th verse                               
« N’ès tan bello que vous (twice)
Ma es un pòu pu richo (...)
 “She is not as beautiful as you (twice)
But she is a little more rich (...)

10th verse                               
« Se n’avès que dòu cent (twice)
La bello n’a très milo (...)
 “Where you get only two hundred (twice)
The pretty gets three thousand (...)

11th verse                               
— M’estimo mai dòu cent (twice)
Que la bello tres milo (...)
 — I appreciate myself better [with] two hundred (twice)
Than the pretty [with] three thousand (...)

12th verse                               
— D’ancuei a quinze joù (twice)
V’invidi a miei noço (...)
 — From today up to two weeks (twice)
I invite you to my wedding (...)

13th verse                               
« S’ai miei noço venès (twice)
V’invidi al tour de danso (...) »
 “If you come to my wedding (twice)
I invite you to a dance tour (...)”

14th verse                               
Al prim cop de tambour (twice)
La filho ientro en danso (...)
 At the first drum stroke (twice)
The girl joins in the dance (2) (...)

15th verse                               
Al repic dal tambour (twice)
La filho toumbet mouorto (...)
 At the drum repeat (twice)
The girl fell dead (...)

16th verse                               
« Bello, piei que mourès (twice)
Mouri per l’amour vostro (...) »
 “Beauty, as you are dying (twice)
I die for your love (...)”

17th verse                               
Se pia un coutel (twice)
Lou si plant’en lei couostos (...)
 He takes a knife (twice)
Sticks into his ribs (...)

18th verse                               
En pensant à la bello (twice)
Mouret al pè dal mai (...)
 Thinking about the girl (twice)
He died at the bottom of the May-tree (...)

19th verse                               
Que n’en diran lei gen (twice)
De dòu persounas mouorto ? (...)
 What will say people (twice)
About two dead people? (...)

20th verse                               
Maladit lou galant (twice)
Que per l’argènt espouso (...)
 Cursed [be] the gallant (twice)
Who, for money, marries (...)

1. The May-tree.
2. The round of May, danced at the bottom of the May-tree, played with fife (?) and drum.

Bibliography
• Delrieu (Georges), Anthologie de la chanson niçoise (Anthology of the Song from Nice), Nice, publisher Delrieu & Co, 1960, p. 166-167.
• 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. 168-169.

 
Discography
• La Belugada, Cants de Provensa e dau païs Nissart, volume 1, 1984.
• En Prals, Cants d’en amont.

 

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