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Niça rebèla  
(standardized Occitan) or Nissa rebella (uncodified Occitan)
(Nice rebel)
Nissart lyrics by Jean-Noël Varo, known as Jan Calenas (30 juin 1975), music by François-Dominique Rondelly, known as Menica Rondelly
Parody of Nissa la bella (Nice the Fair), which is “un crit d’amour e de revòta, un bram que fa testa à la bestisa, l’intoulerança, lou racisme, l’umiliacioun, un rai de la courtura occitana e per aquì meme d’autre courturi douminat” (a scream against stupidity, intolerance, racism, humiliation, a yell from the Occitan culture and, by the fact, from all other dominated cultures). (Ratapinhata nòva (1) n° 1, February 1976.)
| 1st verse |
Ò la miéu paura Niça,
As perdut la flor ;
A la tiéu joinessa
Iéu penserai totjorn.
Canti pus li montanhas
Cuberti d’estacions ;
Li tiéu verdi campanhas
Son pleni de maions. | | O my poor Nice,
You lost the flower;
To your youth
I’ll always have a think.
I no longer sing the mountains
Covered with winter sports resorts;
Your green countrysides
Are covered with houses. |
Chorus |
Jamai pus canterai,
Son mòrti li tonelas,
Li es pus de cançons
Per lo beton.
E totjorn penserai
Au tèmps dont ères bèla,
Ailàs, ailàs, Niça rebèla. | | I’ll no longer sing,
Arbours are dead,
There are no more songs
For the concrete.
And always I’ll have a think
About the time you were beautiful,
Alas, alas, Nice rebel. |
2nd verse |
Si sente la benzina
En plaça dau lilà ;
Cen que sònan marina
Non fa que m’embilar.
Niça, ti siás venduda
Coma una petan ;
Ti van pilhar li combas
Per un morcèu de pan. | | It’s smelling petrol
Instead of lilac;
What we call “marina”
Frets me.
Nice, you sell yourself
As a prostitute;
They are going to take the small valleys
For next to nothing. |
3rd verse |
Perdone-mi, Menica,
De cambiar la cançon
Dont es la tiéu amiga,
La tiéu bèla Nanon.
Adiéu la sofieta,
An cubert Palhon
E lo país de Niça
Es vengut palhasson. | | Forgive me, Dominique,
For changing the song
Where is your girlfriend,
Your pretty Nanon.
Farewell the garret,
Paillon is hidden
And the country of Nice
Has turned doormat. |
1. In reference to the satirical newspaper La Ratapignata (The Bat), created by Menica Rondelly, then managed by Jouan Nicola.
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