"La Libertat" - Occitan Revolutionary Song (Cançon de nèrvi)

Some lyrics are slightly "poetic," so viewer discretion is "advised."

"La Libertat" (Freedom), also known as "Cançon de nèrvi" (Song of Vigour), is an 1892 Occitan revolutionary socialist song inspired by the events of the Commune of Marseille, a small French insurrectionary movement from 1871. The Marseille Commune was proclaimed on the 22nd of March, only a few days after the much more well-known Paris Commune began her own uprising. Much like her cousin, the Marseille Commune lasted only a few weeks before being crushed by the counter-revolutionaries, fading into relative obscurity. Still, the Commune of Marseille holds an important place in history, accentuated by this song. It was written by Jean Clozel for the "La Sartan" newspaper in 1892, who dedicated the poem to Pèire Bertas, a schoolteacher in Marseille who was expelled from his post on the grounds of his socialist beliefs. Performed here by Le Chœur du Lamparo (The Choir of Lamparo), a choir founded by Manu Théron, who also composed the music for the poem.



-- Lyrics --
Tu que siás arderosa e nusa,
Tu qu'as sus leis ancas tei ponhs,
Tu qu'as una vòtz de cleron,
Uei sòna sòna a plens parmons,
Ò bòna musa.

Siás la musa dei paurei gus,
Ta cara es negra de fumada,
Teis uelhs senton la fusilhada,
Siás una flor de barricada,
Siás la Venús.

Dei mòrts de fam siás la mestressa,
D'aquelei qu'an ges de camiá,
Lei sensa pan, lei sensa liech,
Lei gus que van sensa soliers,
An tei careças.

Mais leis autrei ti fan rotar,
Lei gròs cacans ambé sei familhas,
Leis enemics de la paurilha,
Car ton nom tu, ò sainte fille,
Es Libertat!

Ò Libertat, coma siás bela!
Tes uelhs brilhan coma d'ulhauç
E croses, liures de tot mau,
Tei braç fòrts coma de destraus
Sus tei mamèlas.

Mai puei, perfés diés de mòts raucs,
Tu pus doça que leis estelas
E nos treboles, ò ma bela,
Quand baisam clinant lei parpèlas
Tei pès descauç.

Tu que siás poderosa e ruda,
Tu que luses dins lei raions,
Tu qu'as una vòtz de cleron,
Uei sòna sòna a plens parmons:
L'ora es venguda!
-- Lyrics --