Provençal song

My Pretty Little Garden

In Provençal: MOUN JOLI JARDINET

Song no. 28 Damase Arbaud, 1862

Song no. 28 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

lou me siou maridado À la fin d'aquest mes, M'ant fach dounar un homme Qu'autant n'en voudrie ges. . . .. Moun joli, moun tant joli, Moun joli jardinet. M'ant fach dounar un homme Qu'autant n'en voudrie ges, La nuech quand siou couchado Me fai jarar de fred. . . .. Moun joli. . . .. Me tiro la flassado Et de linçoou n'ai ges. . . .. S' aquot duro plus gaire lou lou farai banet. . . .. Pourtara mai de banos Qu'un trentanier d'aver. . . .. Au bout de chaque bano Li mettrai un bouquet. . . .. Quand anara per villa : Ai ! lou poulit banet. . . .. Quand anara per villo: Ai! lou poulit banet, Diran : vaqui' aquel homme Que fai jarar de fred. . . .. Moun joli, moun tant joli, Moun joli jardinet.

English translation of the full text forthcoming.

Notes

This satirical song gives voice to a young woman married to a man she did not choose, who neglects her even at night, leaving her shivering without a blanket. She takes revenge by threatening to make him a cuckold, with so many horns that bouquets could be hung on them as he walks through town. Arbaud notes that each verse repeats the last two half-lines of the previous verse before closing with the refrain "Moun joli jardinet".

Notable words

ProvençalFrench
flassadocouverture de laine
linçooudrap de lit
banetcornard, mari trompé
trentaniertroupeau de trente bêtes
averbétail, troupeau

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