Lo torrin
"Lo tourrin" is garlic soup spiced with pepper. This soup was traditionally brought to newlyweds on the morning after their wedding night.
This song is in the Gascon dialect.
Lo torrin
The "Torrin"
Wedding Song
Wedding Song
(Occitan)
(English)
Obritz la pòrta, obritz (x2)
La novèla maridada luron lonla (x2)
Vos portèm lo torrin (x2)
E la sopa ben pebrada luron lon la (x2)
Coma obrirei jo (x2)
Que soi dens mon lheit cochada luron lon la (x2)
Au pròche de mon marit (x2)
Que me ten tota embraçada luron lon la (x2)
Que me ten e me tendrà (x2)
Tota la nèit empenada luron lon la (x2)
Se perdèvi mas amors (x2)
Ont las anguerei o quèrre luron lon la (x2)
Seren per debat París (x2)
A dus cent cinquanta legas luron lon la (x2)
Dabans la pòrta i a (x2)
Un grand pè de heuguèra luron lon la (x2)
Dens 'quera heuguèra (x2)
Un beròi nid de tortèla luron lon la (x2)
La tortèla i a cohat (x2)
E apèi s'es envolada luron lon la (x2)
En partint a feit rocó (x2)
E la bèra n'es plus bèra luron lon la (x2)
Obritz la pòrta, obritz (x2)
La novèla maridada luron lon la (x2)
Se no l'obrissètz pas (x2)
En 'questa ora vos l'enfoncèm luron lon la (x2)
Open the door, open it, (2 x's)
You, bride (newlywed) luron lon la...
We bring you the tourrin*
And the soup spiced with pepper.
How would I open it
If I'm lying in my bed?
Close to my husband,
Who holds me in his arms**.
Who holds me and will hold me
Saddened, all night long.
If I lost my love
Where would I go for him?
He'd be, northwards, near Paris,
250 leagues from here.
In front of the door is
A big fern.
In this fern is
A pretty turtle dove nest.
The turtle dove hatched there
Then she flew away.
When she left, she went "coo",
And the pretty one isn't pretty any more.
Open the door, open, (twice)
You, bride.
If you don't open it
Now we'll break it open.
Notes
*Tourrin is garlic soup spiced with pepper.
**Literally: embraced.
We posted a recipe for Lo tourrin on Mama Lisa's World Blog and more info about the Wedding Customs involving Lo Torrin.
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Peter Horton for contributing the lyrics and the sheet music (which came from the "Bohaires de Gasconha"), for singing the first verse for us accompanied by Jane Thomasson playing the "boha" (local bagpipe) and to Monique Palomares for translating it (with a little help from Lisa Yannucci) and for contributing the midi. Many thanks also to Joan-Miquèu Espinasse for his help and corrections.
Mercé plan!
