Translation of the song Caterina d'Alió artist Catalan Folk
Caterina d'Alió
Catherine from Lyon
Caterina, l'amor,
Catherine, darling one,
de matí s'és llevada.
Woke up in the morning.
N'agafa el rentador,
She took her washboard,
el rentador i la banca
Her washboard and her bench
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
Sota el pont d'Alió
Under the bridge of Lyon
va a rentar la bugada.
She goes to do the laundry.
Pas renta sola, no:
She doesn't wash all alone, no:
que renta amb sa cunyada
She's washing with her sister-in-law
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
Set cargues de llençols
Seven loads of bed sheets
i altres set d'estovalles.
And another seven of tablecloths.
Mentre és allà rentant
While she's there, washing
tres galans hi passaven
Three handsome gentlemen walked by
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
Ja en passen els galans
The handsome gentlemen walked by
que l'han assaludada.
And they've greeted her.
Ja en diu el més grandet:
The elder goes and says:
«Ai, quina gentil dama!»
Oh, such a lovely lady!
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
Respon el mitjancer:
The middle one answers:
«Jo la tingués en cambra!»
I wish I had her in my bedroom!
Ja en respon el més xic:
And the youngest one answers:
«Calleu! Calleu, xerraires!»
Be quiet! Be quiet, you fools!
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
«Que, si casada n'és,
For, if she is married
serà bastonejada;
She shall be beaten up;
i, si fadrina n'és,
And if she is a maiden,
ne serà murmurada».
People shall murmur behind her back.
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
La sogra n'era a prop,
Her mother-in-law was close by,
i tot s'ho escoltava.
And overheard everything.
Ja n'agafa el cistell,
She rapidly took her wash basket
a casa se n'anava.
And went home running.
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
N'ha trobat el seu fill
She found her son
qui ve de la llaurada.
Who was coming back from tilling the fields.
«Me'n diries, fill meu,
Could you tell me, my son,
Caterina on és ara?»
Where Catherine is right now?
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
«Caterina és al riu
Catherine is in the river
que'n renta la bugada...»
Where she's doing the laundry...
«Menteixes, lo meu fill,
You're mistaken, oh my son,
que jo la só rentada!»
For I have done the washing!
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
«N'han passat tres galans
Then, three handsome young men walked by
que l'han assaludada.»
And they have greeted her.
N'agafa el bastonet
He grabs a club
i també l'agullada...
And also his whip...
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
Quan n'és a mig carrer
When he was halfway down the road
Caterina trobava.
He met Catherine.
«No em diràs pas, muller,
Won't you tell me, my wife,
d'a on ne hi véns tu ara?»
Where you are coming from?
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
«Això ben bé ho saps tu:
You know it well enough:
de rentar la bugada...»
From doing the laundry...
«Ments pel coll, la muller:
You're lying through your teeth, wife:
ma mare l'ha rentada!»
My mother had washed those clothes!
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
«Què me'n diràs, marit,
How can you you say that, my husband,
cosa que bé ho sé ara?»
When this is something I know well?
N'acabant de dir això
After she had said this
li en venta bastonada!
He started beating her up!
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
De tantes que n'hi ha dat,
He beat her up so badly
per morta l'ha deixada.
That he left her for dead.
Caterina se'n va;
Catherine got up;
al llit se n'es anada...
She threw herself in the bed...
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
La sogra puja a dalt.
Her mother-in-law comes up.
«Heu vist la delicada?
Will you look at her, this delicate flower?
Caterina, l'amor,
Catherine, dearest,
quin mal teniu vós ara?»
What is wrong with you now?
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
«Del mal que jo ne tinc
You're very well aware
prou sou ja assabentada.»
Of what has made me unwell.
«Per un bofet o dos
Because of a slap or two
al llit vos heu ficada?!»
You're laying in bed?!
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
«Bé passa de bofet,
This is much more than a slap,
bofet i bofetada:
A slap or a blow:
alceu-ne lo llençol
Lift the bed sheet
i també la flaçada!
And also the blanket!
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
«Mireu a dins del llit:
Look inside the bed:
veureu la sang com raja...»
You'll see how the blood's running...
Alça un pam de llençol
She lifted the bed sheet a few inches
i un altre de flaçada...
As well as the blanket...
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
i en veu un gros infant
And she saw a newborn child
que pel llit bellugava.
That was moving around the bed.
«Caterina, l'amor,
Catherine, dearest,
quin metge voleu ara?»
Which doctor do you want us to call, now?
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
«El metge que jo vull:
The doctor I want you to call:
la creu i la mortalla!»
The Holy Cross and the shroud!
«Caterina, l'amor,
Catherine, dearest,
quin testament feu ara?»
Are you drawing your will, now?
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
«Testament que faré
The will that I shall draw
no vos plaurà pas gaire:
Will not please you at all:
el vestit de vellut
My velvet dress
torneu-lo a ca mon pare...
You must send back to my father's house
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
«lo dels dies de festa
My dress for grand occasions
doneu-lo a ma germana,
You shall give to my sister,
i el dels dies feiners
And my everyday dress
doneu-lo a la criada.»
You must give to the maid.
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
«Les joies que jo tinc
All the jewels I have
a la Verge del Carme.»
You shall offer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
«Caterina, l'amor,
«Catherine, dearest,
i a mi què 'm deixeu ara?»
What are you bequeathing to me, then?»
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
«Çò que vos deixaré
What I shall bequeath to you
no vos plaurà pas gaire:
Shall not please you at all:
el meu marit penjat,
My husband will be hanged,
la sogra esquarterada,
My mother-in-law shall be drawn and quartered...
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
la cunyada que tinc
And this sister-in-law I have
ja l'haguessin cremada
I wish her to be burned alive
i la cendra del seu cos
And the ashes from her body
ja l'haguessin ventada!»
Shall be scattered in the wind!
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
El dia de sa mort
The day of her death
el seu marit penjaven;
They hanged her husband;
el de sons funerals
The day of her funeral
la sogra esquarteraven;
They dismembered her mother-in-law;
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!
I essent de l'endemà,
And reaching the next day,
quan ses honres donaven,
When they were offering a mass for her,
davant la catedral
Right in front of the cathedral
sa cunyada cremaven...
They burned her sister-in-law alive...
La dolça dama d'Alió...
The sweet lady from Lyon...
Oh lai-là! Oh lai-là!
Oh lai-la! Oh lai-la!