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Provençal song

The Caged Bird

In Provençal: L'AUCEOU EN GABIOLO

Song no. 29 Damase Arbaud, 1862

Song no. 29 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

Eici n'en ven tres aucolets, Sur un brancoun d'ooulivo, Vola! Sur ün Bräncoun d'ooulito: N'y a dous que cantoun lou plesir Et l'autre les saludo. . . .. Aqueou que les saludo tous Lou fau pourt' à ma mio. . . .. — Ah ! tenetz, mi', un aucelet, Metteiz-lou 'n gabiolo. . . .. Fasetz-ly lou restar sept ans, Senso mangear ni bouaro. . . .. Quand les sept ans n'en sount passats, Lou roussignou s'envouelo. . . .. La damo li courr' à l'apres Coum' uno fremo fouelo. . . .. — Arrest', arreslo, roussignou, Retouern' en gabiolo. . . .. Te farai mangear de pan blanc, Te darai de moun bouaro. . . .. — N'en vouere gis de toun pan blanc, Et ni mai de toun bouaro. . . .. Jou mangearai d'herbo de camp De la pas caussigado. . . .. lou beurai d'aiguo doou roucas De la pas trebourado. . . .. Jou cantarai à moun plesir Coumo mes camärados. . . .. Ame mai estr' auceou de camp Qu'auceou de gabiolo, Vola ! Qu'auceou de gabiolo.

English translation of the full text forthcoming.

Notes

This song uses the allegory of a bird caged by a lady in love to evoke freedom lost and regained. After seven years of captivity, the nightingale flies away and refuses everything the lady offers to bring it back, preferring free grass and water to the golden cage. Arbaud reports that the cry "vola" was used by Provençal falconers when releasing the bird, and that the last verse has become proverbial.

Notable words

ProvençalFrench
gabiolocage
roussignourossignol
bouaroboisson, breuvage
caussigadofoulée, piétinée
trebouradotroublée
auceletpetit oiseau

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

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