Ai vist lo lop, lo rainard, la lèbre (I saw the wolf, the fox, the hare) is an old Occitan song. Occitan is the language of the troubadours. It’s still spoken in southern France, parts of Spain and Italy. Some sources believe the wolf, the fox and the hare in this song represented the King, Lord and Church, all authorities who collected taxes – leaving nothing for the peasants. Here are the lyrics in Occitan, followed by an English translation and a YouTube video…

Ai vist lo lop, lo rainard, la lèbre

Ai vist lo lop, lo rainard, la lèbre
Ai vist lo lop, lo rainard dançar
Totei tres fasián lo torn de l’aubre
Ai vist lo lop, lo rainard, la lèbre
Totei tres fasián lo torn de l’aubre
Fasián lo torn dau boisson folhat.

Aquí trimam tota l’annada
Per se ganhar quauquei sòus
Rèn que dins una mesada
Ai vist lo lop, lo rainal, la lèbre
Nos i fotèm tot pel cuol
Ai vist lo lèbre, lo rainal, lo lop.

English Translation:

I saw the wolf, the fox, the hare,
I saw the wolf, the fox dance.
All three were circling round the tree
I saw the wolf, the fox, the hare,
All three were circling round the tree,
They were circling round the sprouting bush.

Here we slave away all the year round
So we can earn a few coins
And just in a month’s time
I saw the wolf, the fox, the hare,
There is nothing left
I saw the hare, the fox, the wolf.

Check out the song page for Ai vist lo lop, lo rainard, la lèbre for the score, midi, mp3 and French and Spanish translations.

Check out this metal version of the song!

Many thanks to Monique Palomares from the French and Spanish versions of Mama Lisa’s World for the translation!

Enjoy, but remember the tax collector is still around, nowadays in a different guise!

Mama Lisa