Here are a couple of songs I translated and made singable for Mama Lisa's World and I thought some of you might be interested. While midi files can't be posted, you can hear the tune and see the sheet music here.

The first is a spinning song written by Abbot Paul Tallez, a priest from Gers, in Armagnac (where they make good spirit!), Gascony, born in Estang in 1846, dead in Auch in 1930 (so it's in Public Domain now). He was a teacher at Auch seminary. He wrote some poems and songs in Occitan -Gascon dialect-. This song is from a small collection published in 1927 called "Arrepics e cansous" ("Refrains and Songs"), now out of print. The book is on consultation only at Toulouse Occitan Conservatory.


CANÇON DE LA HIALAIRA

Au ton coenh qu'as un riban blanc
Blanc com nèu au sorelh lhevant
Bèra hialaira, bèra hialaira
Qui hialas deu matin au ser.
Ditz-me perqué
Vira , husèth, vira, vira
Deu matin au ser vira, vira
Que cau ua pelha entà abilhar
La mainada qui vam batiar.

Au ton coenh qu'as un riban blu
Blu com la hlor deu lin madur.
Bèra hialaira, bèra hialaira
Qui hialas deu matin au ser
Ditz-me perqué
Vira , husèth, vira, vira
Deu matin au ser vira, vira
Qu'u cau quan se mariderà
Ua camisa nava a's botar.

Au ton cuenh qu'as un riban roge,
Roge com l'auba quan i a ploja.
Bèra hialaira, bèra hialaira
Qui hialas deu matin au ser
Ditz-me perqué
Vira , husèth, vira, vira
Deu matin au ser vira, vira
Qu'u calerà quan plorerà
un mochoèr entà s'eishugar

Au ton cuenh qu'as un riban negre,
Negre enqüer mei qu'un tròç de pega,
Bèra hialaira, bèra hialaira
Qui hialas deu matin au ser
Ditz-me perqué
Vira , husèth, vira, vira
Deu matin au ser vira, vira
Qu'u calerà quan morirà
un linçòu entà l'enterrar.

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Click to play

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THE SPINSTER SONG

On your distaff is a white ribbon
White as the snow in the rising sun
Beautiful spinster, beautiful spinster
You're spinning from dawn to dusk
Just tell me why
Spin round, spindle, spin round, spin round
From morning to dusk, spin round, spin round
We need a cloth to dress the girl
We're going to baptize in church.

On your distaff is a blue ribbon
As the flax flower when it blossoms
Beautiful spinster, beautiful spinster
You're spinning from dawn to dusk
Just tell me why
Spin round, spindle, spin round, spin round
From morning to dusk, spin round, spin round
She will need a new shirt to wear
When she gets wed to her love fair

On your distaff is a red ribbon
As the dawn when rain is to come
Beautiful spinster, beautiful spinster
You're spinning from dawn to dusk
Just tell me why
Spin round, spindle, spin round, spin round
From morning to dusk, spin round, spin round
For she'll be needing when she cries
A handkerchief her tears to wipe.

On your distaff is a black ribbon
Blacker than pitch is this black ribbon
Beautiful spinster, beautiful spinster
You're spinning from dawn to dusk
Just tell me why
Spin round, spindle, spin round, spin round
From morning to dusk, spin round, spin round
For we will be needing a shroud
For to burry her when she dies.