Lyr Req: Breizh songs

Subject: Breizh songs
From: GUEST,K. Henke
Date: 18 Nov 01 - 02:04 PM

Looking forlyrics for the following:

AR SOUDARDED'ZO GWISKET...

AR GALON DIGARR

Can anyone suggest a good Breton songbook?

Incidently these melodies are on the CD "Fest Vraz"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Breizh songs
From: Sorcha
Date: 18 Nov 01 - 02:24 PM

I am not going to be any help at all with this one.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Breizh songs
From: GUEST,Judikael G.
Date: 18 Nov 01 - 03:26 PM

You should look for them in Barzaz Breizh, which is the biggest book of breton lyrics and tunes ever published, written by Villemarque. Their is also an organization that has been collecting songs and tunes for a long time : Dastum, you may ask them.(see www.dastum.com) However these two songs are classic so you should find their lyrics easily.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Breizh songs
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 18 Nov 01 - 07:33 PM

Have a look at  Son Ha Ton: Chansons Traditionelles Bretonnes

Which includes  Barzaz Breiz  (85 songs with staff notation).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Breizh songs
From: keberoxu
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 02:57 PM

Better late than never. To be fair, I went first to the previous post by Malcolm Douglas, and checked the sources to which he linked. The two songs request in the OP were not to be found in those sites.

What I found is at online websites, data-entered by readers. Not as gold-standard a source as an anthology published on ink and paper, but still, a point of departure I suppose.

Here's what I found for the first title.

AR SOUDARDED ZO GWISKET E RUZ

(traditional, Breton)

Ar soudarded zo gwisket e ruz
Ar veleien zo gwisket e du.

Gwellañ soudard a oe en arme
Oe ur zoudard Ar Fur e añv.

Eñ a lare d'e gamaraded
'Ne gredan ket e varvin ervat.

'Med pa varvin-me kreiz ar Brezel
Interit me e douar santel.

'Pa varvin-me e ti ma zad
Interit me e vourk Brizak.

'E vourk Brizak kreiz ar vered
Ur sapr-groaz du-hont 'm-eus plantet.

'Ur wezenn-groaz am-eus plantet
Jamez delienn he-deus manket!'


Med ar bloaz-man eñ zo kouezhet,
Soudard Ar-Fur a zo marvet.

Komans e rae 'n douar da gleuzañ
Gant ar Vretoned o ouelañ.

Ar soudarded zo gwisket e ruz
Ar veleien zo gwisket e du.


from lyricstranslate.com

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Breizh songs
From: keberoxu
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 03:09 PM

AR SOUDARDED ZO GWISKET E RUZ
Language of origin: Brezhoneg/Breton

From the same webpage, but entered by a different reader, an English translation.

THE SOLDIERS ARE DRESSED IN RED

The soldiers are dressed in red,
The priests are dressed in black.

The best soldier in the army,
'Ar Fur' is his name.

He says to his comrades:
'I don't think I will die.

'But if I die in combat,
Bury me on holy ground.

'If I die in the house of my father
Bury me in the village of Brissac.

'In Brissac, in the middle of the cemetery
Where I planted a fir tree for my cross.

'A fir tree for my cross I planted
Never a [pine] needle was missing on the tree!'

But this year the tree is down,
Soldier 'Ar Fur' is dead.

And we began to dig the earth
While Bretons were crying.

The soldiers are dressed in red,
The priests are dressed in black.

also from: lyricstranslate.com

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Breizh songs
From: keberoxu
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 03:37 PM

The second song, under the title "Ar Galon Digor," has a YouTube video (Annie Ebrel) which gives lyrics of six verses.

AR GALON DIGOR

(traditional, Breton)

Me zo un den yaouank, ha na non ket galant
A oar skrivañ ha lenn, gounit aour hag archant
Ha me zisklêrio deoch ken vo fin dam vrepoz
An hini choaz e vestrez, ne gousk na deiz na noz.

Boñjour deoch plach yaouank, setu me deut dho ti
Vit goulenn diganeoch, ya, bremañ dimeziñ
Daoust ha chwi lârfe din ha me ch ay da studiañ
Vit ur bloavezh pe zaou, pe an tri dan hirañ.

Oa ket ar bloaz echuet, nag ha choazh an hanter
Pa meus resevet deus he dorn ul lizher
Ya, da lavaret din da zont dar gêr hep kontinañs
Kar ma zud am dimez, met me non ket kontant.

Boñjour deoch plach yaouank, setu me deut dar gêr
Dre em eus resevet deus ho torn ul lizher
Ya da lavaret deoch hastet dem en brepariñ
Kar me zo deut da gêr evit hoch eurejiñ.

Dre un all, den yaouank, keuz meus dhoch anzavet
Trement eo an amzer oan vit ho soulajiñ
Ha setu petra zo, na grit evet meus graet
Choazet ur vestrez-all, kar me zo dimezet.

Me a choarvez ganin vel gant ur pelikan
Zo digort he chalon vit al holl ar war bed-mañ
Zo digort he chalon vit al holl lapoused
Kar me a gar an holl, ha gant den non karet.

-from YouTube video of Fest Fraz featuring Annie Ebrel

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Breizh songs
From: keberoxu
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 03:53 PM

Well, I can't find a suitable English translation, but until I do -- or a suitable translation comes from someone better qualified than I -- here is a sort of abstract of the Breton verses.

I am a young man, literate, earning my own living, and I have something to tell you all before we turn in for the night: there is no rest, day or night, for him who has his heart set on one girlfriend.
I went courting, and the girl told me I should go away and study for a year or two. My studies were not yet over when she sent a letter warning me that her parents were going to marry her off. When I finally got there, it was too late. She told me, Don't make the mistake I made, get another girl, because I am married to another now.
In the last verse, the ancient Christian symbol of the pelican is evoked, with its bleeding bosom, to describe a heart broken open and poured out.

This is skimmed off of one of the YouTube comments.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Breizh songs
From: Monique
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 06:14 PM

There's a French translation here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Breizh songs
From: Monique
Date: 23 Apr 16 - 01:38 PM

French translation translated into "my" English, feel free to improve it.

I'm a young man –though I'm not courteous
I can write and read, earn gold and silver,
And I will reveal you (something) before the end of my talk/speech:
Whoever chooses a mistress sleeps neither by night nor by day.

Me, I've chosen one who is more beautiful than the moon,
Brighter than the sun when it raises upon the earth,
Brighter than the sun when it raises upon the world;
She'll break my heart if she doesn't give me a remedy.

Me, I have two mistresses like two roses,
One of them is red, the other is white;
The white one is in the South garden:
I fear that she wither when the hard season comes.

The red one is a pretty and beautiful girl
Who abducted me with her charming looks.
When everybody in the world assured me
She was a coquette, I couldn't believe it.

But now, I believe it, because I made the clear experience;
Farewell, my love! Farewell, my hope!

I have a warbler whose two wings were trimmed,
It comes every night, every night, on the corner of my mantelpiece;
There's no time of the night when I don't hear it sing,
My mistress' little heart is like this warbler.

The other day, at ten at night, as I was in my bed,
Having already slept a nap, I had a dream,
Having already slept a nap, I had a dream,
(I dreamed) that my most beloved was by my side.

Alas! When I woke up, seeing that she wasn't there,
I burst out crying like a lost lamb;
I burst out crying like a little lamb
That's been let loose among the gorse (and that was)
Abandoned by its mother.

I still go once to my mistress' house,
Even if my efforts were in vain, I did it very often
Even if my efforts were in vain, very often I did it.
Everybody tells me I'm wasting my time.

According to what you'll say, I'll go to study
And never ever will I go back home,
According to what you'll say, I'll go to study
And never ever will I go back home.

Do go, my servant, go still to study,
A little year or two, or at the very least three,
Till I've turned my twenty-fifth birthday,
Then I'll marry you without my parents' permission.