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Paure de merlou miou !  
(Poor blackbird me!)
Traditional song from Saint-Dalmas-de-Valdeblore, County of Nice.
Within the text of this song to memorize written in gavot (i.e. in nissart from the hinterland), the endings “o” –alo, lengo, pato, etc.– are the feminine marks of this language.
| 1st verse |
Se m’an coupà lou bècou,
Couma pourai bèqué ?
Se m’an coupà lou bècou,
Paure de merlou miou, (twice)
Couma pourai bèqué ? | | If they have cut off my beak,
How shall I be able to peck?
If they have cut off my beak,
Poor blackbird me, (twice)
How shall I be able to peck? |
2nd verse |
Se m’an coupà la lengo,
Couma pourai manjé ?
Se m’an coupà la lengo, lou bècou,
Paure de merlou miou, (twice)
Couma pourai manjé ? | | If they have cut off my tongue,
How shall I be able to eat?
If they have cut off my tongue, my beak,
Poor blackbird me, (twice)
How shall I be able to eat? |
3rd verse |
Se m’an coupà ’na pato,
Couma pourai marché ?
Se m’an coupà ’na pato, la lengo, lou bècou,
Paure de merlou miou, (twice)
Couma pourai marché ? | | If they have cut off one foot,
How shall I be able to walk?
If they have cut off one foot, my tongue, my beak,
Poor blackbird me, (twice)
How shall I be able to walk? |
4th verse |
Se m’an coupà dous pato,
Couma pourai sauté ?
(...) | | If they have cut off two feet,
How shall I be able to hop?
(...) |
5th verse |
Se m’an coupà un’ alo,
Couma pourai viré ?
(...) | | If they have cut off one wing,
How shall I be able to turn?
(...) |
6th verse |
Se m’an coupà dous alo,
Couma pourai voulé ?
(...) | | If they have cut off two wings,
How shall I be able to fly?
(...) |
7th verse |
Se m’an coupà lei plumos,
Couma pourai couvé ?
(...) | | If they have cut off the feathers,
How shall I be able to sit on?
(...) |
8th verse |
Se m’an coupà un oqou,
Couma pourai guigné ?
(...) | | If they have cut off one eye,
How shall I be able to wink?
(...) |
9th verse |
Se m’an coupà dous oqou,
Couma pourai durmé ?
(...) | | If they have cut off two eyes,
How shall I be able to sleep?
(...) |
10th verse |
Se m’an coupà la lengo,
Couma pourai sublé ?
(...) | | If they have cut off the tongue,
How shall I be able to whistle?
(...) |
11th verse |
Se m’an coupà la couo,
Couma pourai pué ?
(...) | | If they have cut off the tail,
How shall I be able to climb?
(...) |
12th verse |
Se m’an coupà la testo,
Couma pourai canté ?
(...) | | If they have cut off my head,
How shall I be able to sing?
(...) |
| Bibliography | | • | Delrieu (Georges), Anthologie de la chanson niçoise (Anthology of the Song from Nice), Nice, publisher Delrieu & Co, 1960, p. 38. | | • | 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. 216. |
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