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Segnour e pastressa  
(Lord and shepherdess)
Nissart lyrics by Joseph Giordan, known as Jousé Giordan. Traditional from County of Nice.
Tune Là-bas dans un pré....
Dedication to “Moussù L. Barbe.”
| 1st verse |
Rosa Madaloun
Dintre lou valloun
Garda lu moutoun
E mé li fea.
Tout en filant zounzouna de cansoun, (twice)
Rosa Madaloun de la Vernea. (twice) | | Rose Madeleine
In the small valley
Looks after the sheep
And the ewes.
While spinning, she is humming songs, (twice)
Rose Madeleine from La Vernéa (1). (twice) |
2nd verse |
Pi, sènsa pensiè,
Souta l’amendiè,
Dapè d’un rousiè,
S’assèta, lassa,
Quoura vèn à passar un cavaliè (twice)
Que s’en revèn, soulet, da la cassa. (twice) | | Then, without thinking,
Beneath the almond tree,
Near a rosebush,
She sits down, weary,
When a rider happened to pass by (twice)
Coming back, alone, from hunting. (twice) |
3rd verse |
“Mi plasés touplen:
As de blanqui dènt,
Un bèu pichoun pèn,
La camba fina;
Laissa l’aver, auras mile autre bèn, (twice)
Li dì lou segnour qu’a bouona mina. (twice) | | “I like you very much:
You have got white teeth,
A beautiful little foot,
The leg slender;
Leave the flock, you will get a thousand of other goods, (twice)
Said her the lord who looks well. (twice) |
4th verse |
— Noun! Pèr lou palai,
Quiterai jamai
Lou prat e lou nai,
E la vastièra;
Dei miéu soucit, pichounet es lou fai, (twice)
De la miéu vida libra siéu fièra. (twice) | | — No! For the palace,
Never I’ll leave
The meadow and the retting workshop (2),
And the sheepfold (3);
Of my worries, light is the burden, (twice)
Of my free life I’m proud. (twice) |
5th verse |
— Bertrand dòu Puget,
Feraud, Blacasset,
Faran de sounet,
De vilanella.
Canteran serventés e trioulet, (twice)
Lu troubaire, pèr tu, la pu bella. (twice) | | — Bertrand du Puget,
Féraud, the small Blacas,
Will make sonnets,
Villanelles.
They will sing sirventes and triplets, (twice)
The troubadours, for you, the most beautiful. (twice) |
6th verse |
— Bouscarla, gourióu,
Quinsoun, aurióu,
Au temp dóu renóu,
Mi fan l’aubada,
E pi, la nuèch, audi lou roussignóu (twice)
Que mi fa li pu tèndri roulada. (twice) | | — Warblers, skylarks (4),
Chaffinches, golden orioles,
At springtime,
Give me the dawn serenade,
And then, at night, I hear the nightingale (twice)
Making me the tenderest trills. (twice) |
7th verse |
— Amount, au castèu,
Auras de jouïèu,
Decide-ti lèu,
Genta pastressa!
Pèr tu, noun li serà rèn de proun bèu; (twice)
Dóu tiéu segnour seras la mestressa. (twice) | | — Up there, in the castle,
You will get jewels,
Make up your mind quickly,
Nice shepherdess!
For you, there will be nothing too much beautiful; (twice)
Of your lord you will be the mistress. (twice) |
8th verse |
— Dintre d’aquéu cas,
Segur, vous troumpas,
Ah! Laissès en pas
La pastourella:
La róuba de fustagna mai mi plas (twice)
Qu’aqueli de seda o de dentella. (twice) | | — In this case,
Sure, you are wrong,
Ah! Leave in peace
The shepherdess:
The fustian dress (5) better suits me (twice)
Than the ones in silk or laces. (twice) |
9th verse |
— Bouscatiè, paisan,
Bourgués, artisan,
A Berra, vendran
Ti rèndre ómage;
Flourin e ducatoun ti pouorteran, (twice)
Auras li miéu riquessa en partage. (twice) | | — Lumberjacks, peasants,
Burghers, craftsmen,
In Berre, will come
And pay homage to you;
Florins (6) and small ducats (7) they will bring you, (twice)
You will get my wealth in a will. (twice) |
10th verse |
— L’or e lu ounour,
Li vouostri grandour
E lu vers d’amour
Dei fier troubaire
N’auran jamai la suava douçour (twice)
Dei baïeta dóu miéu calignaire.” (twice) | | — Gold and honours,
Your glory
And love verse
Of proud troubadours
Never will get the sweet gentleness (twice)
Of kisses from my lover.” (twice) |
1. La Vernea: a hamlet near Contes.
2. Nai: the place where some fiber plants (flax, hemp...) were put to ret.
3. Vastièra: the cattle pen where flock is enclosed.
4. Goriòu or gourióu: bird frequenting meadows, a kind of skylark.
5. Frustagna or fustagna: fustian, hard-wearing fabric made by means of small sticks (fust) used to curl material, in which are cut out working clothes.
6. Flourin: florin. Old golden money native to Florence, used and imitated in whole Europ during 13th century.
7. Ducatoun: small ducat (from Italian ducato), golden money of doges of Venice. Golden money bearing the effigy of a duke.
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