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Sus la grava  
(On the strand)
Nissart lyrics by Charles Millo. Traditional from County of Nice.
Tune Dans la rue.
| 1st verse |
Enfant de la natura,
La miéu vida es lou repau.
Noun ai cravata ni ceintura
Mé doui boucl’ e quatorze trau.
Sièu naissut ’m’ai doui bras ligat
E lu nerf un pau tròu fatigat. | | Child of nature,
My life is the rest.
I’ve no tie nor belt
With two buckles and fourteen holes.
I was born with my two arms tied up
And my nerves slightly too much tired. |
Chorus |
Per la miéu counstitucioun
Ni secoussa ni emoucioun,
Esfouors à febla poucioun,
Lou travail à coundicioun,
Sus la grava !
À l’oumbra d’un batèu
Laissi despassà lu boutèu
Per fin que pilhon lou soulèu
Que noun m’escaufe lou cervèu,
Sus la grava ! | | For my constitution
No jolt nor emotion,
Efforts with slight potion,
Work with requirements,
On the strand!
In the shade of a boat
I let my calves jut out
In order that they take the sun
And doesn’t warm up my brain,
On the strand! |
2nd verse |
Lou lun fau toujou festa
E lou mars fau jamai ren.
Lou mecre fau lou resta
Ma lou jòu repau en plen.
Lou vendre, jou maigre, fau pa’n pas
E lou sata sièu toujou ’n pau tròu las. | | On Monday I always have a party
And on Tuesday I never do anything.
On Wednesday I do the left-over
But on Thursday full rest.
On Friday, without meat day, I don’t walk a step
And on Saturday I’m always slightly too much weary. |
Chorus |
Lou dimench’au matin,
La testa sus d’un gourbin,
Mi repauvi dòu turbin
E m’en fouti dòu vesin,
Sus la grava !
Sensa fa de zounzoun,
Per que mi fague bouon proun
Lou toumati e lou pebroun,
Fau un souan fin au canoun,
Sus la grava ! | | On Sunday in the morning,
My head on a basket (1),
I rest after work
And I don’t give a damn about the neighbours,
On the strand!
Doing no noise,
So that they make me a good meal
Tomato and sweet pepper,
I have a snooze until the cannon,
On the strand! |
3rd verse |
Riba de mar es la miéu cambra,
Lou miéu liech es un batèu.
Lou soulèu la salamandra
E li nebla lu ridèu.
Sala de bagne doun souorte Palhoun,
Luna, estela per lume de maioun. | | Sea shore is my bedroom,
My bed is a boat.
The sun is [the] salamander (2)
And clouds the curtains.
Bathroom where exits Paillon,
Moon, stars as light in house. |
Chorus |
Iver couma estiéu,
Frei o caut, ieu mi rièu.
Toujou gai couma un pipiou
Perque mi senti en lou miéu,
Sus la grava !
Coura serai tròu vieil,
Ben frustat fin au greil,
M’endurmerai ensen m’ai pei,
Bessai deman, bessai ancuei,
Sus la grava ! | | Winter as well as summer,
Cold or hot, I laugh at.
Always cheerful as a chaffinch
Because I feel at home,
On the strand!
When I’ll be old too much,
Well worn up to heart,
I’ll fall asleep gathered with fishes,
May be tomorrow, may be today,
On the strand! |
1. Gourbin or gourbeta: a small basket (from gouòrba, wickerwork basket, sawn-off cone-shaped).
2. Salamandra: here not for the animal, but for the slow-combustion stove (Salamandre is a trademark).
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