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Lou Pichin Ome  
(The Small Man)
Traditional song from County of Nice.
Small men where often the target of jeerings...
« Markos, enlevé par le vent, se rattrape à un fil d’araignée avec lequel, pendant cinq jours et cinq nuits, il opère sa descente du ciel ; un autre est si petit qu’il perce de sa tête un grain de poussière et passe tout entier au travers ; un autre chevauche sur une fourmi, mais elle le désarçonne et le tue d’une ruade, etc.
« On retrouve ces jeux d’esprit chez les Romains ; une épigramme adressée à un nain lui dit : “La peau d’une puce te fait une robe trop large, une fourmi est pour toi un cheval de haute taille, etc.” » | | Pierre Saintyves, in Les Contes de Perrault et les Récits parallèles. |
This tune presents musical analogies with the farandole Carnaval es arrivat and with the round Tanta Jana.
| Chorus |
Ai un ome qu’es pichoun,
Pouodi ben dire, pouodi ben dire,
Ai un ome qu’es pichoun,
Pouodi ben dire qu’es mignoun. | | I get a man [husband] who is small,
I can say, I can say,
I get a man who is small,
I can say he is cute. |
1st verse |
D’un pan e miech d’escarlata,
Li fau lou mantèu, la capa.
N’en soubr’ enca’n chicouloun
Per li faire lou capuchoun. | | With a piece and half of scarlet [fabric],
I make him the coat, the cloak.
There’s still a little bit left
To make him the hood. |
2nd verse |
D’una testa de sardina,
Eu si soupa pi si dina.
N’en soubr’ enca’n mouceloun
Per li faire lou merendoun. | | With the head of a sardine,
He, he has supper then he has dinner.
There’s still a little piece left
To make him the snack. |
3rd verse |
Coura s’en va a la cassa,
Va da cavau sus ’na limassa.
Coura s’en va au festin,
Va da cavau sus d’un lapin. | | When he goes hunting,
He goes riding a snail.
When he goes to the feast,
He goes riding a rabbit. |
4th verse |
Lou lapin si met’ a courre,
Lou pichoun pica dòu mourre.
Lou lapin a tròu courrut,
Lou pichin ome s’es perdut. | | The rabbit starts running,
The little man collapses.
The rabbit ran too much,
The little man got lost. |
5th verse |
Anas dire a la vesina
Qu’estreme li siéu galina,
Que lou miéu ome es sourtit,
Que noun lou piton per aqui. | | Go and say to the neighbouring [woman]
She shuts up her hens,
Because my man came out,
Beware they don’t peck him around there. |
6th verse |
M’un’ aguia despounchada
Eu si fa sabre e espada.
E n’en rest’ encara proun
Per si faire un couteloun. | | With a blunt needle
He, he makes sabre and sword.
And there’s still enough
To make a small knife. |
7th verse |
M’una gruèia d’avelana
Eu si fa una cabana.
E n’en rest’ encara proun
Per si faire lou fugairoun. | | With a shell of hazel nut
He, he makes a hut.
And there’s still enough
To make the hearth. |
8th verse |
Emb’ un pan de tela gria
Eu si fa douze camiha.
E n’en rest’ encara proun
Per si faire un pantaloun. | | With a piece of grey cloth
He, he makes a dozen shirts.
And there’s still enough
To make trousers. |
One can of course draw a parallel between this text and the childlike song Le Petit Mari (The Small Husband):
Mon père m’a donné un mari,
Mon Dieu ! quel homme, quel petit homme !
Mon père m’a donné un mari,
Mon Dieu ! quel homme, qu’il est petit !
D’une feuille on fit son habit...
Le chat l’a pris pour une souris...
Dans ma paillasse il se perdit... | | My father gave me an husband,
My God! What a man, what a small man!
My father gave me an husband,
My God! What a man, how he is small!
With a leaf one made his clothes...
The cat mistook him for a mouse...
In my straw mattress he got lost... |
| Bibliography | | • | Delrieu (Georges), Anthologie de la chanson niçoise (Anthology of the Song from Nice), Nice, publisher Delrieu & Co, 1960, p. 158-159. | | • | 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. 222-223. |
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