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Nouvé de Margaridoun  
(Christmas carol for Marguerite)
Traditional Christmas carol from County of Nice.
| 1st verse |
Margaridoun, se noun rèvi
Audi touplen d’instrumèn.
Soun bessai lu enfant de Lèvi
Emb’un gran mouloun de gent
Qu va, qu ven, à bast, à pen
Mai ren noun councèvi.
Margaridoun, fai-mi plesì :
Lou fenestroun vai mi duerbì.
Enfourme-ti qu’es aquèu trin,
S’es per de nouossa o per de festin. | | Margaret, if I’m not dreaming,
I hear plenty of instruments.
May be they are Levy’s sons
With a whole load of people
Going, coming, on packsaddle, on foot,
Never nothing I can conceive (1).
Margaret, make me [this] pleasure:
The (small) window go and open.
Inform you what is this pace,
If it’s for a wedding or for a feast. |
2nd verse |
Ai tout aussi bouona mina ;
Pouorge-mi braia, courset,
Lu bas rouge d’etamina,
Vesta, couol, soulié, bounet,
Mouchouar (sic), capèu, bastoun, mantèu
E tu la mantellina.
Aquèu bel enfant que t’an dit,
Toui lu proufèta l’an predit,
Vene m’amour, vene, anèn lèu,
N’avèn tre quart d’aqui à l’amèu. | | I look well;
Give me breeches, the bodice,
The red stocking of muslin,
The jacket, the collar, the shoes, the bonnet,
The handkerchief, the hat, the walking stick, the coat
And you the small coat.
This beautiful child someone tells you,
All the prophets foretell him,
Come my love, come, let’s go quickly,
We have three quarters (2) from here to the hamlet. |
3rd verse |
Ahura embé regret vous laissi,
Es devèr d’anà à l’oustau.
Lou miéu troupéu cau que paissi,
Encara d’autr’ animau.
A tu, Signour, e à la Cour
Oumblamèn m’abaissi.
Deman vendrai, ti reveirai,
Un bel agnèu ti pouorterai ;
Sera tout garnit de riban
Rouge, paunas, blu, vert, jaune, blanc. | | Now I leave you with regret,
“It’s duty” to go to home.
My herd needs to graze,
[And] other animals more.
To (in front of) you, Lord, and to (in front of) the Court
Humbly I bow.
Tomorrow I’ll come, I’ll see you again,
A beautiful lamb I’ll bring you;
It will be fitted with ribbons
Red, ponceau (3), blue, green, yellow, white. |
1. I.e. “I don’t understand anything”.
2. The unit is not given, it can be assumed that it’s question of three quarters of a league, i.e. about three kilometres.
3. Dark red (from French paon, peacock).
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© 2001-2024 Jean-Gabriel Maurandi.
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