Rendition by Maria Roanet, Marie Rouanet in French. As a singer she sings in Occitan but as a writer she writes (beautifully) in French except for one in Oc "Dins de patetas rojas" that she later re-wrote in French as "Nous les filles" (Us girls), a collection of memories from when she went from childhood to teenage. My favorite is "La marche lente des glaciers", 1994 (lit. "The Slow March of the Glaciers" -hasn't been translated) in which she tells her father's later life and death.
DEVINHÒLA (Occitan)
(Sung by Maria Roanet 1936- )
Ma maire a un lençòl tot blau
Que lo pòt pas plegar.
Mon paire a un molon d’escuts
Que lo pòt pas comptar.
Mon fraire a un irange gròs
Que lo pòt pas plumar.
Ieu ai un brave pescajon:
Lo pòdi pas manjar.
Gaita en amont, gaita plan naut,
I traparàs la clau"RIDDLE
My mother has a blue bedsheet
That she can't fold.
My father has a lot of coins
That he can't count.
My brother has a big orange
That he can't peel.
I have large pancake
I can't eat it.
Look upwards, look high upwards,
You'll find the answer there.
You can also find a recording and an Italian translation on the Italian Chambra d'òc site as the Occitan Valleys are a part of Italy where Occitan is still spoken.
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