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Vaqui lo polit mes de mai  
(Here is the pretty month of May)
Traditional from Occitany.
This song known in the early 19th century was spread in the whole Occitany.
| 1st verse |
Vaqui lo polit mes de mai
Que tout galant planta son mai.
N’en plantarai un a ma mio,
Serà mai aut que sa teulisso. | | Here is the pretty month of May
In which every gallant “plant his May-tree (1)”.
I shall plant one for my beloved,
It will be higher than the roof [of her house]. |
2nd verse |
Cu li metrem per lo gardar ?
Un sourdat de cada costat ?
Cu li metrem per sentinèlo ?
Serà lo galant de la bèlo. | | Who shall we put to look after it?
A soldier on each side?
Who shall we put as sentry?
He will be the suitor of the Beauty. |
3rd verse (2) |
Mai à l’entorn de mièja-nuech
Lo galant si endormiguèt.
S’endormiguèt, se somelhava
E lo gran mai se desplantava. | | But some time around midnight
The gallant fell asleep.
He fell asleep, dozed
And the great May-tree was transplanted. |
4th verse |
Aquò me facharié per tu
Se ta mio l’avié vòugut.
Ta mio n’aima quauqueis autre,
Se trufarà ben de nosautres. | | This would bother me for you
If your lady-love wanted it (3).
Your beloved loves someone else,
She would laugh at us. |
5th verse |
Iéu sabi ben çò que farai.
M’en anarai, m’embarcarai,
M’embarcarai drech à Marselho,
Pensarai plus d’aquesto filho ! | | I well know what I shall do.
I shall go away, I shall embark,
I shall sail right for Marseilles,
I shall not think about this girl. |
6th verse |
Quand de Marselho revendrai,
Davant sa pòrto passarai.
Demandarai à sa vesino
Coma se pòrta Catarino. | | When, from Marseilles, I shall come back,
Outside her door I shall pass along.
I shall ask to her neighbour
How is Katherine. |
7th verse |
« Catarino se pòrta ben.
S’es maridada i a ben lòntems
Am’un monsu de la campanho
Que li fa ben faire la damo. | | “Katherine is very well.
She get married long ago
To a gentleman from the country
Who makes her doing the fine lady. |
8th verse |
« N’en pòrta lo capèu bordat
Amé l’espasa da son costat.
La norirà mai sens’ ren faire,
Que non pas tu, marrit cantaire ! » | | “He wears the edged hat (4)
With his sword by his side.
He will feed her doing nothing,
Better than you, bad singer!” |
1. It was a tradition that young men plant the May-tree in front of the door of their fiancée.
2. Although seldom sung, this verse is essential to understand the narration. The version given here is the one published by éditions Néanmoins (see. below Bibliography).
In his book Mémoires pour servir à l’histoire de la commune de Contes... (page 207), the priest Antoine Cauvin indicates that, in the early 19th century, “François Camous, de Vernéa (...) fit une chanson qui commençait ainsi :
La sentinella s’es endormida, e han trace lo Mai alla Margarida.”
(The sentry fell asleep and they moved the May-tree to [the house of] Margaret.)
3. I.e. if the fiancée accepted the May-tree.
4. The “edged hat” points out the policeman, in French slang.
| Bibliography | | • | Vaqui lo polit mes de mai, illustrated by Julien Cordier, Marseille, éditions Néanmoins, series “Cants draiats”, 2016. |
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