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Provençal song

The Annunciation

In Provençal: L'ANOUNCIATIEN

Song no. 6 Damase Arbaud, 1862

Song no. 6 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

Bel angi Gabriel s'en vai trouvar la Viergi : — Viergi adourablo, vous vene anounçar, L'enfant de Diou devetz pourtar. — Bel angi Gabriel, iou lou pourtarai gaire ? — Viergi adourablo, noou mes lou pourtaretz Coum' uno maire que seretz. — Bel angi Gabriel, qu'houro lou pourrai faire ? — Viergi adourablo, au plus gros de l'hiver, Dins un estable desecubert. — Bel angi Gabriel , serai touto souleto ? — Viergi adourablo, Sant Jause vouestr' espous Sera toujours aupres de vous. — Bel angi Gabriel, l'y aura degun autre? — Viergi adourablo, les pastres l'y vendran Adourar la Mair' et l'Enfant. — Bel angi Gabriel , l'y aura degun autre? — Viergi adourablo , les tres reis l'y vendran Et de beous presents aufriran. — Bel angi Gabriel, que jour farai sourtido ? — Vicrgi adourablo , lou segound de fevrier. Nouestro douço Viergi Marie!

English translation of the full text forthcoming.

Notes

This piece unfolds, in questions and answers, the dialogue between the angel Gabriel and the Virgin at the Annunciation: the length of the pregnancy, the place and time of the birth, the presence of Saint Joseph, then that of the shepherds and the three kings, and finally the day of the Virgin's churching, set on the second of February. The genre is that of the dialogued nouvè, a narrative form widespread in Provençal Christmas religious song.

Notable words

ProvençalFrench
angiange
Viergi adourabloVierge adorable
pastrespâtres, bergers
estable desecubertétable découverte, sans toit
sourtidosortie, ici les relevailles de la Vierge

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. 6. Public domain. Digitization: https://archive.org/details/chantspopulaire00arbagoog. Transcription and formatting by Lingua Nostra.

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