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Un bču matin, vegučre uno acouchado  
(One fine morning, I saw a new mother)
Lyrics by Nicolas Saboly, known as Micoulau Sabňli. Traditional from Provence.
Tune Tu me défends de publier ma flamme.
This Christmas carol has been published on 1669 in the 3rd book. It appears with number 23 in the Fr. Seguin’s new edition.
| 1st verse |
Un bču matin, vegučre uno acouchado
Dins un marrit jas,
Sus un pau de fumeras,
E sčt ŕ vue pastras
Vengučron faire l’acoulado
Au pichot qu’čro entre sei bras. | | One fine morning, I saw a new mother
In a bad sheepfold,
On a few manure (1),
And seven to eight shepherds (2)
Came to embrace
The child who were in her arms. |
2nd verse |
Lou bču premié fasié bčn tan lou mato
Qu’un bigot ririé
De včire sei matarié :
Contro lou rastelié,
Jitčt uno de sei sabato
En fasčnt lou pčd en arrié. | | The first one did so well the crazy
That a sanctimonious should laugh
Seeing his madnesses (3):
Against the rack,
He threw one of his clogs
While bowing (4). |
3rd verse |
Aquéu gavot de la pu fino grano,
Sčnso gis de respčt,
S’aprouchč de sant Jňusč
E, rede coume un trčt,
Lou biňu li dounč de la bano
E l’ase li dounč dňu pčd. | | This mountain dweller (5) of the finest makings,
Without any respect,
Came near Saint Joseph
And, stiff as a line,
The ox butted him
And the donkey kicked him. |
4th verse |
Sei coumpagnoun van s’esclafi dňu rire
E, ŕ sa façoun,
Fan peta lou gargassoun ;
Dins lou lio vounte soun,
Aurien bčn encaro fa pire,
Sčnso que li ai fa la leiçoun. | | His friends burst out laughing
And, by his manner,
Make the throat burst;
In the place they are,
They could do much worse,
If I didn’t give them a lecture. |
5th verse |
— Lou bču jouguet ! la bello countenčnço !
Teisas-vous un pau.
Vautre sias de grand badau,
De rire ŕ tout prepau.
Sounjas que sias ŕ la presčnço
De Diéu, qu’es dins aquest oustau. | | — What a beautiful rattle! What a bearing!
Shut up!
You, you are great onlookers (6),
To laugh every other minute.
Think you are in the presence
Of God, who is in this barn. |
1. Fumeras, farmyard manure; it’s rather here a matter of damp straw, may be going rotten.
2. Pastras (suffix as pejorative): unrefined shepherd.
3. Matarié, madness; air of false affability or false bonhomie.
4. Faire lou pčd en arrié, or just faire lou pčd: to greet while pulling the foot backwards, to bow.
5. Gavot, born or inhabitant of the mountain, and, by extension, the foreigner coming from North.
6. Badau, from Provençal badar, to stand open-mouthed, to be lost in wonder, to be flabbergasted.
| Bibliography | | • | Saboly (Nicolas), Lei noé de San Pierre de l’année 1669 (Christmas carols of Saint Peter for the year 1669), Pierre Offray printer, Avignon, 1669, p. 12-14. | | • | Recueil des noëls composés en langue provençale (Collection of Christmas carols composed in Provençal language), reprint Fr. Seguin, printer and bookseller, Avignon, 1856, p. 28. |
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