Se Canta

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Se Canta
English: If it Sings
Regional Anthem of Occitania
Also known as Se Chanto
Aqueras Montanhas
Lyrics Gaston III Fébus

Se Canta (regional alternative titles: Se Chanta; Se Chanto; Aqueras Montanhas; Aqueras Montinas) is an anthem associated with Occitania. It is also a very old popular song, known all over Occitania. It would have been written by Gaston III Fébus (1331-1391), Count of Foix and Bearn.

It has an official status in Val d'Aran (an Occitan autonomous territory in Spain) with the title Aqueras Montanhas.

Se Canta is a very important part of Occitan culture and most Occitan people identify with it. As such it's often been regarded as the unofficial anthem of all Occitania and most people living in that region will know the occitan words to the first verse and chorus even if they are not native occitan speakers themselves.

Notable occasions on which it has been sung include the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin on 10 February 2006 (by L'Ange Gardien Chorus), and in the French National Assembly on 3 June 2003 (by Jean Lassalle, in protest at a perceived slight on the Pyrenean village of Urdos by Minister of the Interior Nicolas Sarkozy).

Contents

[edit] Lyrics

The lyrics of the song are in the Occitan language. Several versions of the anthem are attested; that presented here is among the oldest ones.

[edit] Standardized Occitan text with current spelling

Dejós ma fenèstra
I a un auselon
Tota la nuèch canta,
Canta sa cançon

Outside my window
There is a little bird
Singing all night
Singing its song.

Chorus

Se canta, que cante,
Canta pas per ieu,
Canta per ma mia
Qu'es al luènh de ieu.


If it sings, let it sing
It's not singing for me
It sings for my love
Who's far away from me.

Aquelas montanhas
Que tan nautas son,
M'empachan de veire
Mas amors ont son.

Those mountains
That are so high
Keep me from seeing
Where my love has gone.

Baissatz-vos, montanhas
Planas, auçatz-vos
Per que pòsca veire
Mas amors ont son.

Lay down, o mountains
And rise up, o plains
So I may see
Where my love has gone.

Aquelas montanhas
Tant s'abaissaràn,
Que mas amoretas
Se raprocharàn.

Those mountains
Will lay down so low
That my lost love
Will get closer.

[edit] Uncodified Occitan version with a French-based writing

Debat ma fenestro
At oun auselou
Touto la ney canto,
Canto sa cansou

Outside my window
there is a little bird
singing all night
singing his song

Chorus

Se canto que canto,
Canto pas per you,
Canto per ma mio
Qu'ès alen de you.


He sings and he sings
doesn't sing for me
he sings for my love
who's far away from me

Aqeros mountagnos
Que tan hautes soun,
M'empéchoun de beyre
Mas amours oun soun.

Those mountains
that are so high
keep me from seeing
where my love is gone

Bassasbous, mountagnos
Planos, aoussasbous
Per que posqui beyre
Mas amour oun soun.

lay down mountains
and rise up plains
so i can see
where my love is gone

Aqeros mountagnos
Tan s'abacheran,
Et mas amourettos
Se rapproucharan.

these mountains
down will lay
and my lost love
closer will get

[edit] External links