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Provençal song

The Badly Married Woman

In Provençal: LA MAU MARIDEIO

Song no. 27 Damase Arbaud, 1862

Song no. 27 from the collection Chants populaires de la Provence by Damase Arbaud (1814-1876), published in 1862. Public domain. The text follows Arbaud's own spelling, which predates the Félibrige standard, and is reproduced unchanged.

Text

N'ai quitta 'n jouine per prendr' un vielh, Mi que iou siou mau marideio, N'ai quitta 'n jouine per prendr' un vielh, Mau marideio que siou mi. Me disien que mouririe leou, Mi que lou siou mau marideio, Me disien que mouririe leou, Mau marideïlo que siou mi. Ma crese que non mourra plus, Mi que jou siou. . . .. N'ai pia lou pic sout' al fooudil; Mi que jou siou. . . .. N'ai fa 'na fossa sout' un pin, Mi que jou siou. . . .. Li daou 'na lourda,lou cabassou dedins, Mi que jou siou. . . .. Esgambalhava, voulie sourtir, Mi qué iu siou. . . .. N'ai pia la pala, l'ai courbit, Mi que jou siou. . . .. Si toutes filhos fasien couma mi, Mi que jou siou. . . .. Levariam les vielhs d'aperaquit, Mi que iou siou mau marideio, Levariam les vielhs d'aperaquit, Mau marideio que siou mi.

English translation of the full text forthcoming.

Notes

This comic and macabre song portrays a young woman forced into marriage with an old man, who dreams aloud of digging his grave and burying him alive to avenge her forced marriage. Its biting tone and repeated refrain "mau marideio" make it a satirical complaint typical of subverted wedding songs. Arbaud notes a musical performance detail, that the F should be sharp in the second-to-last measure.

Notable words

ProvençalFrench
marideiomariée
fooudilfournil
cabassoupanier, corbeille
palapelle
esgambalhavagigotait des jambes, se débattait
vielhsvieux, maris âgés

Glosses are given in French, as delivered by our lexicographic source; an English gloss is not yet available for these words.

Source: Damase Arbaud, Chants populaires de la Provence, 1862, song no. 27. Public domain. Digitization: https://archive.org/details/chantspopulaire00arbagoog. Transcription and formatting by Lingua Nostra.

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