Baïlèro | Shepherd, from across the river

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from Volkslieder (Folksongs)

Translation © by Laura Prichard

Baïlèro

Language: Occitan

Our translations: ENG

Pastré, dè dèlaï l’aïo,
a gaïré dé boun tèn,
dio lou baïlèro lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, baïlèrô, lô!
È n’aï pa gaïré, è dio, tu,
baïlèro lèrô.
Lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, baïlèrô, lô!

Pastré, lou prat faï flour,
li cal gorda toun troupèl,
dio lou baïlèro lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, baïlèrô, lô!
L’erb’ es pu fin’ ol prat d’oïçi,
baïlèro lèrô.
Lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, baïlèrô, lô!

Pastré, couçi foraï,
èn obal io lou bèl rîou,
dio lou baïlèro lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, baïlèrô, lô!
Espèromè, té baô çirca,
baïlèro lèrô.
Lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, baïlèrô, lô!

Text Authorship:

from Volkslieder (Folksongs) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Joseph Canteloube (1879 - 1957), "Baïlèro", subtitle: "Chant de Bergers de Haute-Auverge [Noté aux environs de Vic-sur-Cère (Cantal)]" [ voice and piano ], from Chants d'auvergne I, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Baïlèro", subtitle: "Shepherd Song from the Haute-Auverge [Notated in the environs of Vic-sur-Cère (Cantal department in south-central France)]", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Laura Prichard [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 97

Baïlèro

Language: English after the Occitan

Shepherd, from across the river
you’re hardly having a good time
say the baïlèro lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, baïlèrô, lô!
Eh, I’m not hardly [having a good time], and you [should say]
baïlèro lèrô.
Lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, baïlèrô, lô!

Shepherd, the pasture is in flower,
there you ought to tend your flock,
say the baïlèro lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, baïlèrô, lô!
The grass is more fine in the pasture here,
baïlèro lèrô.
Lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, baïlèrô, lô!

Shepherd, how will I manage
over there, there’s the pretty stream
say the baïlèro lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, baïlèrô, lô!
Wait for me, I’m coming to fetch you,
baïlèro lèrô.
Lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, lèrô, baïlèrô, lô!

Subtitle: "Shepherd Song from the Haute-Auverge [Notated in the environs of Vic-sur-Cère (Cantal department in south-central France)]"

Translator's notes
Line 1-2: Literally, “some good time”; figuratively, “Are you having a good time?”
Line 1-3: This is the typical yodeling refrain of a shepherd’s dialogue common to the Auvergne (in southwest France), sung by characters on opposite sides of a river or gorge.
Line 1-4: Literally, “not have I”; figuratively, “Not great.”
Line 3-1: Literally, “how will I do”

Text Authorship:

Translation from Occitan to English copyright © 2019 by Laura Prichard, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Occitan from Volkslieder (Folksongs)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2019-07-20
Line count: 18
Word count: 115