La Coupo Santo (The Holy Cup), in full La Cansoun de la Coupo (The song of the Cup) in original modern (or Mistralian) norm Provençal (in classical norm, La Copa Santa in full Lo Cant de la Copa Santa (The song of the Holy Cup) or La Cançon de la Copa (The Song of the Cup)) is considered the anthem of the Félibrige. It is sung in Provençal, one of six Occitan dialects.
It refers to a silver chalice the Catalan félibres offered their Provençal counterparts on July 30, 1867 during a Banquet held in Avignon to thank them for hiding Victor Balaguer, a poet from Barcelona who'd sought political asylum out of Spain. The cup was made by Guillaume Fulconis and the silversmith Jarry.
The cup is traditionally entrusted to the capoulié, who presides over the Félibrige. It is showcased every year at the society's annual congress, called la Santa Estèla. The banquet is officially closed when the Copa Santa has been sung. It was initially written by Frédéric Mistral to commemorate the fraternal bond that unites the Occitan and Catalan nations, and the music was taken from a Christmas carol from Friar Serapion: Guilhaume, Tòni, Pèire. It stands among the best-known anthems of Occitania alongside Se Canta and De cap tà l'immortèla. The audience is supposed to stand up for the last verse.
Description Frédéric Mistral described the cup with these words in L'Armana prouvençau: It is a cup of antique shape, supported by a palm tree. Against the palm tree, standing up and facing each other, two gentle figurines that depict Catalonia and Provence as sisters. Provence wraps its right arm around her friend's neck, as a token of amity; Catalonia holds her right hand on her heart and seems to be thanking her. At the bottom of each figurine, dressed in the Latin manner and with their breasts naked, lie their respective coat of arms in an escutcheon. Around the cup and outside it, written on a braid intertwined with laurels, the following words can be read (in Catalan): "Souvenir offered by the Catalan Patricians to the Provençal Félibres for the hospitality given to the Catalan poet Victor Balaguer, 1867." And on the pedestal these other finely engraved inscriptions can be found: "They say it is dead, But to me, it's still alive. V. Balaguer Ah! if only they could hear me! Ah! if only they would follow me! F. Mistral"
Lyrics In Mistralian norm Provençal: Prouvençau, veici la Coupo Que nous vèn di Catalan A-de-rèng beguen en troupo Lou vin pur de nostre plan
Chorus Coupo Santo E versanto Vuejo à plen bord, Vuejo abord Lis estrambord E l'enavans di fort!
D'un vièi pople fièr e libre Sian bessai la finicioun; E, se toumbon li felibre, Toumbara nosto nacioun
D'uno raço que regreio Sian bessai li proumié gréu; Sian bessai de la patrìo Li cepoun emai li priéu.
Vuejo-nous lis esperanço E li raive dóu jouvènt, Dóu passat la remembranço, E la fe dins l'an que vèn,
Vuejo-nous la couneissènço Dóu Verai emai dóu Bèu, E lis àuti jouïssènço Que se trufon dóu toumbèu
Vuejo-nous la Pouësìo Pèr canta tout ço que viéu, Car es elo l'ambrousìo, Que tremudo l'ome en diéu
Pèr la glòri dóu terraire Vautre enfin que sias counsènt. Catalan, de liuen, o fraire, Coumunien tóutis ensèn!In classical norm Provençal: Provençaus, vaicí la copa Que nos ven dei Catalans A de rèng beguem en tropa Lo vin pur de nòstre plant
Chorus Copa santa E versanta Vueja a plen bòrd Vueja abòrd Leis estrambòrds E l'enavans dei fòrts
D'un vièlh pòble fièr e liure Siam bensai la finicion E se tomban lei felibres Tombarà nòstra nacion
D'una raça que regrelha Siam bensai lei promiers greus Siam bensai de la patria Lei cepons e mai lei prieus
Vueja-nos leis esperanças E lei raives dau jovent Dau passat la remembrança E la fe dins l'an que ven
Vueja-nos la coneissença Dau verai e mai dau bèu E leis autei joïssenças Que se trufan dau tombèu
Vueja-nos la Poesia Pèr cantar tot çò que viu Car es ela l'ambrosia Que tremuda l'òme en dieu
Pèr la glòria dau terraire Vautres enfin que siatz consents Catalans de luenh, ò fraires Comuniem toteis ensemsIn French: Provençaux, voici la coupe Qui nous vient des Catalans. Tour à tour buvons ensemble Le vin pur de notre cru.
Chorus Coupe sainte Et débordante Verse à pleins bords, Verse à flots Les enthousiasmes Et l'énergie des forts!
D'un ancien peuple fier et libre Nous sommes peut-être la fin; Et, si tombent les félibres, Tombera notre nation.
D'une race qui regerme Peut-être sommes-nous les premiers jets; De la patrie, peut-être, nous sommes Les piliers et les chefs.
Verse nous les espérances Et les rêves de la jeunesse, Le souvenir du passé Et la foi dans l'an qui vient.
Verse-nous la connaissance Du Vrai comme du Beau, Et les hautes jouissances Qui se rient de la tombe.
Verse-nous la Poésie Pour chanter tout ce qui vit, Car c'est elle l'ambroisie Qui transforme l'homme en Dieu.
Pour la gloire du pays Vous enfin qui êtes consentants nos alliés, Catalans, de loin, oh frères, Tous ensemble communions!In English: Provençal people, this is the cup That the Catalans gave us Let us drink in turn The wine from our wineyards
Chorus Holy cup And overflowing May you pour abundantly May you pour in streams The enthusiasm And the energy of the strong
Of an old and proud people We may be the very last And should the félibres fall So will our nation fall
Of a race germinating again We may be the first shoots We may be of our motherland The pillars and the leaders
May you pour us the hopes And the dreams of the youth Of the past the memories And the faith in next year
May you pour us the knowledge Of truth and beauty And the other pleasures That defy the tomb
May you pour us the poetry To sing all that lives For this is the ambrosia That turns man into a god
For the glory of the land You our allies at last Catalans from afar, o brothers Let us receive communion together
Notice: For both norms of Provençal orthography, pronunciation is almost the same.
References
External links & (Occitan) Access to lyrics, music sheet, and MIDI file Notreprovence.fr in English
Wikisource Copa Santa