Lo Comte Arnaud
Lo comte Arnaud, lo chivalièr,
Dins lo Piemont va batalhièr.
"Comte Arnaud, ara te'n vas,
Diga-nos quora tornaràs!
-Per la Sant Joan, jo tornarèi
E mort o viu aicí serèi,
Ma femna deu, entà Sant Joan,
Me rendre pair d'un bèl enfant."
Mès la Sant Joan ven d'arribar,
Lo comte Arnaud ven a mancar.
Sa mair, del pus naut de l'ostal,
Lo vei venir sus son caval.
"Mair, fasètz far viste lo lièit,
Que longtemps non i dormirèi;
Fasètz-lo naut, fasètz-lo bas,
Que ma miga n'entenda pas!
-Comte Arnaud, de qué pensatz?
Un bèl enfant vos quitariatz?
-Ni per un enfant ni per dus,
Mair, ne ressuscitarèi plus!
-Mair, qu'es aqueth bruch dins l'ostal?
Semblan las orasons d'Arnaud!
- La femna que ven d'enfantar
Orasons non deu escotar.
-Mair, per la fèsta de doman,
Quna rauba me botaràn?
-La femna que ven d'enfantar
La rauba negra deu portar.
-Mair, perqué tant de pregadors?
Qué dison dins las orasons?
-Dison : "La que ven d'enfantar
A la messeta deu anar".
A la messeta ela se'n va,
Vei lo comte Arnaud enterrar.
-Aicí las claus de mon cinton,
Tornarèi plus a la maison.
Tèrra santa te cal dobrir,
Vòli parlar a mon marit!
Tèrra santa, te cal barrar,
Amb Arnaud vòli demorar." | It translates more or less literally as
Earl Arnaud
Earl Arnaud, the knight,
Goes to Piedmont to battle
"Earl Arnaud, you're leaving now
Tell us when you come back."
"On St John's day, I'll come back
And dead or alive, I'll be here
My wife must, on St John's day
Make me the father of a nice child."
But St John's day has come
Earl Arnaud happens to be missing
His mother, from the top of the house
Sees him come on his horse.
"Mother, have my bed quickly made
For I won't sleep there for long
Make it upstairs, make it downstairs
But my beloved mustn't ear."
"Earl Arnaud, what are you thinking of?
Would you leave a nice child?"
"Neither for a child nor for two,
Mother, I won't resuscitate!"
"Mother, what's that noise in the house?
Seems to be Arnaud's prayers!"
"The woman who's just given birth
Mustn't listen to prayers!"
"For tomorrow's celebration,
Which gown will they dress me with?"
"The woman who's just given birth
Must wear a black gown."
"Mother, why are there so many people praying?
What do they say in their prayers?"
"They say the one who's just given birth
Must go to mass"
To mass she goes
And sees Earl Arnaud burried.
"Here are the keys from my belt
I won't go back home.
Holy earth, you must open
I want to speak with my husband!
Holy earth, you must close,
With Arnaud I want to stay." |