Day 9 - Music from the Provençal region of France
La cambo me fai mau (My leg it hurts me so), is a well-known Provençal Christmas carol sung in the south of France. The words were written by Micolau Sabòli (Nicolas Saboly) (1614-1675) in Occitan, the language of the Troubadours. Its first-person narrator, a shepherd, wants to join a pilgrimage to see the new-born Jesus, but is worried that he might not be able to go because he has injured his leg. His solution . . . saddle up his horse and go! Along the way, he meets a number of people and his leg is healed when he finally sees the Christ-child. There are a total of seven verses; we've only given four, because that's all our first performers sing. The traditional tune used in La cambo me fai mau is called Toulerontonton.
As always, there are numerous online versions to choose from (many more than I thought I would find!), so we'll start with a rousing and straightforward performance, and go from there. Enjoy!
La cambo me fai mau
Li a proun de gènt There's lots of folks
Que van en roumavage Who want to pilgrimage
Li a proun de gènt There's lots of folks
Que van en Betelèn Who're off to Bethlehem
Li vole ana I want to go
Ai quàsi proun courage Oh if I have the courage
Li vole ana I want to go
S’iéu pode camina. If only I could walk.
La cambo me fai mau, My leg it hurts me so
Bouto sello, bouto sello Put the saddle, put the saddle
La cambo me fai mau My leg it hurts me so
Bouto sello à moun chivau. Put the saddle on my horse.
Tous lei bergié All the shepherds
Qu’èron sus la mountagno That were upon the mountain
Tous lei bergié All the shepherds
An vist un messagié They saw a messenger
Que li a crida: Shouting to them:
Metès-vous en campagno! "Set off to do your work!
Que li a crida: Shouting to them:
Lou Fiéu de Dieu es na! The Son of God is born!
La cambo me fai mau, My leg it hurts me so
Bouto sello, bouto sello Put the saddle, put the saddle
La cambo me fai mau My leg it hurts me so
Bouto sello à moun chivau. Put the saddle on my horse.
En aquest tèm And at that time
Lei fèbre soun pas sano A fever wasn't healthy
En aquest tèm And at that time
Lei fèbre valon rèn A fevers meant the end
Ai endura Yet I endured
Uno fèbre quartano A reoccuring fever
Ai endura Yes I endured
Sènso me rancura. Without a mere complaint.
La cambo me fai mau, My leg it hurts me so
Bouto sello, bouto sello Put the saddle, put the saddle
La cambo me fai mau My leg it hurts me so
Bouto sello à moun chivau. Put the saddle on my horse.
Quand aurai vist When I’ll have seen
Lou Fiéu de Diéu lou Paire The Son of God the Father
Quand aurai vist When I’ll have seen
Lou Rèi de Paradis The King of Paradise
E quand aurai And when I’ll have
Felecita sa maire, Sent praise unto His mother
E quand aurai And when I’ll have
Fa tout ce que déurrai. Done all I had to do.
La cambo me fai mau, My leg it hurts me so
Bouto sello, bouto sello Put the saddle, put the saddle
La cambo me fai mau My leg it hurts me so
Bouto sello à moun chivau. Put the saddle on my horse.
La cambo me fai mau - performed by members of Truthful Fields
La cambo me fai mau - Compagnie Nationale de Danses Françaises
La cambo me fai mau - Tutti Canti Nimes
La cambo me fai mau - Edition Maulwurf
La cambo me fai mau - Wen Arto and Friends
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