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Que disès, mei bon fraire  
(What are you saying, my dear brethren)
Lyrics by Nicolas Saboly, known as Micoulau Sabòli. Traditional from Provence.
Tune Tout rit dans nos campagnes (Everything is laughing in our countries).
This Christmas carol has been published on 1672 in the 6th book. It appears with number 41 in the Fr. Seguin’s new edition.
| 1st verse |
Que disès, mei bon fraire,
Mei cousin, meis amis,
Dessus aquest afaire?
Qu’es acò que fau faire?
Dounas-me voste avis. | | What are you saying, my dear brethren,
My cousins, my friends,
About this matter?
What have me to do?
Give me your opinion. |
2nd verse |
Pièisque Diéu nous apello
E nous fai averti
Qu’es na d’uno piéucello;
Soun pas de bagatello,
Fau toutaro parti. | | As God is calling us
And makes us to be warned
That he was born from a virgin;
There is not any frivolity,
We have to go immediately. |
3rd verse |
Se menen nòstei feno,
Partiren pas tan lèu:
Dison que qu n’en meno
N’es pas jamai sèns peno:
Fan vira lou cervèu. | | If we drive our ewes,
We will not leave so quickly:
Let’s say that the one who doesn’t drive ewe
Is not never without sorrow:
They make us to turn our brain. |
4th verse |
Garnissen nòstei biasso,
Ramplissen lei barrau;
Se’n cop la cambo es lasso,
Chausiren quauco plaço,
Dinaren en repau. | | Let’s fill our lunchbags,
Let’s fill the barrels;
If once the leg is weary,
We will choose some place,
We will eat in rest. |
5th verse |
La petito museto
Emé lou tambourin,
Diran la cansouneto,
Emé lei castagneto,
Tout dóu long dóu camin. | | The little musette
With the tambourin (1),
Will say the small song,
With the castanets,
All along the way. |
6th verse |
Quand faudra rendre óumage
A-n-aquéu bèl Enfant,
Claude, qu’es lou pu sage,
Dèu avé l’avantage
De li beisa lei man. | | When we will have to pay homage
To this nice Child,
Claude, who is the wisest,
Should have the advantage
To kiss his hands. |
1. Museto and tambourin: the musette doesn’t designate here the bagpipes, but the fleitet or galoubet, a three holes harmonic flute. The tambourin is a drum three times longer than an usual one. The galoubet and the tambourin are played simultaneously by the same musician, forming a whole and single instrument, the “galoubet-tambourin”.
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