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Ourguhious plen de magagno   , (bis)
(Arrogant full of failings)
Lyrics by Nicolas Saboly, known as Micoulau Sabòli. Traditional from Provence.
Tune Tircis caressait Chimène (exhortations aux pécheurs).
Nicolas Saboly has proposed two versions for this Christmas carol, whose first one is on familiar tune Tircis caressait Chimène (Tircis was caressing Chimene; exhortations to sinners).
This Christmas carol has been published on 1669 in the 2nd book. It appears with number 15 in the Fr. Seguin’s new edition.
| 1st verse |
Ourguhious plen de magagno,
Que te pargues coume un gau
E, dins lei meiour coumpagno,
Te gounfles coume un crapaud ;
Sies-tu pas bèn miserable
D’avé tan de vanita,
Pièisque Diéu, dins un estable,
Pratico l’umelita ? | | Arrogant full of failings,
That strut about like a rooster
And, in the best countries,
Puff out as a toad;
Aren’t you wretched
Having such conceit,
As God, in a cowshed,
Practises humility? |
2nd verse |
Tu que fas milo souplesso,
Que cerques à t’engaja
A l’amour d’uno mestresso,
Iéu te vole bèn louja :
Vène, que n’en veiras uno
Que li manco pas un péu,
Qu’es pu blanco que la luno,
Pu bloundo que lou soulèu. | | You that do thousand contortions,
That seek to commit
To the love of a mistress,
I’m quite happy to live you:
Come, you will see one
Who not one hair is lacking to,
That is whiter than the moon,
Fairer than the sun. |
3rd verse |
Tu que cerques tei delice,
Que n’ames que tei plesi,
Quouro quitaras lou vice ?
N’auras-tu jamai lesi ?
N’as-tu pas vergougno d’èstre
Toujour dins aquel estat ?
Veses-tu pas que toun Mèstre
A fa vu de paureta ? | | You that search for your delights,
That like only your pleasure,
When will you leave the vice?
Never will have you leisure?
Aren’t you ashamed to
Always be in this state?
Don’t you see that your Master
Has taken a vow of poverty? |
4th verse |
Tu que sies lou mauvai riche,
Eiserço la carita ;
Ei paure siegues pas chiche,
Dono-li quauque pata ;
Diéu, dins aquelo bastido,
Dono tout à seis amis,
Soun amour, soun sang, sa vido,
Sa mort e soun Paradis. | | You that are the bad rich,
Practise charity;
To the poor don’t be niggardly,
Give them some farthings (1);
God, in this poor house,
Gives all to his friends,
His love, his blood, his life,
His death and his Paradise. |
1. See also Li a proun de gènt que van en roumavage.
| Bibliography | | • | Saboly (Nicolas), Lei noé de San Pierre (Christmas carols of Saint Peter), Pierre Offray printer, Avignon, 1669, p. 6-7. | | • | Recueil des noëls composés en langue provençale (Collection of Christmas carols composed in Provençal language), reprint Fr. Seguin, printer and bookseller, Avignon, 1856, p. 20-21. |
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