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Vers lou pourtau Sant-Laze  
(Around Saint-Lazarus gate)
Lyrics by Nicolas Saboly, known as Micoulau Sabòli. Traditional from Provence.
Tune Il faut pour Endremonde.
This Christmas carol has been published on 1669 in the 2nd book. It appears with number 17 in the Fr. Seguin’s new edition.
| 1st verse |
Vers lou pourtau Sant-Laze,
Un pastre, de matin,
Venié long dòu camin,
Mounta dessus soun ase.
Li ai di : « Gai pastourèu,
Li a-ti rèn de nouvèu ? » | | Around Saint-Lazarus gate (1),
A shepherd, early in the morning,
Was coming along the lane,
Riding his donkey.
I’ve said him: “Cheerful shepherd boy,
Isn’t it nothing new?” |
2nd verse |
A bouta sa mounturo
A l’abri d’un bouissoun
E pièi, à sa façoun,
M’a dich uno aventuro.
Jamai n’ai rèn ausi
Emé tan de plesi. | | He pushed his mount
Under cover of a bush
And then, at his own way,
He told me an adventure.
Never I’ve heard something
With such a pleasure. |
3rd verse |
Quand m’a di que Marìo,
Rèino de Paradis,
Avié fach un bèu Fis
Qu’èro lou vrai Messìo,
E qu’eu, en grand respèt,
Li avié beisa lei pèd. | | He told me that Mary,
Queen of paradise,
Had made a handsome son
That was the true Messiah,
And him, with great respect,
He had kissed her feet. |
4th verse |
M’a bèn di d’àutrei causo
Qu’iéu noun vous dise pas,
Surtout d’un marrit jas
Vounte l’enfant repauso ;
E pièi s’es enana,
Perçoqué l’an souna. | | He told me much other things
That me, I don’t say,
Particularly [about] a poor sheepfold
Wher the child is resting;
Then he went away,
Because he was called. |
5th verse |
A destaca soun ase
E li es mounta dessu.
M’a di : « Bonjour, moussu !
Mai, que noun vous desplase !
M’envau vous dire adiéu ;
Souvenès-vous de iéu. » | | He has untied his donkey
And ride it.
He told me: “Goodbye, sir!
But, don’t be displeased!
I’m going to make you farewells;
Remember me.” |
6th verse |
Ai près moun escritòri,
Ai bouta pèr escri
Tout ce que m’avié di.
E de fresco memòri,
Sus l’èr que vous savè,
Ai fach aquest nouvè. | | I’ve taken my writing case,
I’ve pushed to write
All he has told me.
And by fresh memory,
On the tune you know (2),
I’ve done this carol. |
1. Sant-Laze, Saint-Lazarus, one among the gates of Avignon.
2. Nicolas Saboly confirms here he has composed this carol using a known pre-existing tune.
| Bibliography | | • | Saboly (Nicolas), Lei noé de San Pierre (Christmas carols of Saint Peter), Pierre Offray printer, Avignon, 1669, p. 9-10. | | • | Recueil des noëls composés en langue provençale (Collection of Christmas carols composed in Provençal language), reprint Fr. Seguin, printer and bookseller, Avignon, 1856, p. 22. |
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