Complainte au duc de Savoye

English translation by Leherenn
From Lyricstranslate

[1] I am not sure about Gironflar, it does not mean anything as far as I can tell. The only reference I could find is that it refers to people from the Bordeaux region, Gironde, but I'm not sure how credible it is.
Gare can mean several things in French: a train station, to park (a car)/to stop or (be)ware. Given the lack of context, I went with the last definition. (Translator's Original note)

Magari sbaglio, ma questa mi sembra solo una versione di un canto settecentesco già presente sulle CCG come Le petit roi de Sardaigne [Gironfla]...

Magari sbaglio, ma questa mi sembra solo una versione di un canto settecentesco già presente sulle CCG come Le petit roi de Sardaigne [Gironfla]...

O no?

Certo che lo è Bernart! L'avevi segnalato già tre anni fa, Riccardo l'ha scritto da qualche parte che i tempi del sito sono lunghi ma qui mi sa che la cosa da fare è proprio togliere l'intera (per altro lacunosissima) pagina e inserirla appunto in Le petit roi de Sardaigne [Gironfla]

Even as a native francophone from Quebec, I initially misunderstood the author's intent! It's about mocking Savoy's disastrous attempt to switch sides in the war of Spanish Succession in the early 18th. Once-French-ally by royal marriage, Duke Victor-Amédée II "le Renard de Savoie", switched sides to Austria and the League against France. There were religious reasons for the tensions such as the revocation of the Edict of Nantes and protestant migrations. Victor-Amédée then launched an offensive war against his former ally France, sung from a Frenchman's/Alsacian point of view. I wouldn't call it an anti-war song, more of a "lets mock the losers" song - an all-time staple of military music. But given how obscure the meaning is, these comments should stay up, in order to understand better, IMO!

To a modern listener, it might sound like the author is praising the Duke of Savoie for managing to do something with "80 peasants". The song actually mocks Cristopho de Carignan's girly outfits and his useless "20 lame guns" - even though this underestimates how far above their weight the duchy was punching. Savoy's military was impressive for it's size and backed by Spain and the whole league of Aubsburg - but it was rapidly and repeatedly crushed by Louis Joseph, Duke de Vendôme, with negligible casualties on the French side in a swift reaction from Paris. Most of Savoy was occupied and they were forced to sign a separate peace.

Cristopho de Carignan - the leader part of the House of Savoie that would 150 years later found the Kingdom of Italy - is mocked despite the fact that the upbeat lyrics seem to praise his name when you listen quickly the first time.

Gironflar gets confusing because.. it actually has nothing to do with the Gironde river confluence near Bordeaux that would come to mind when a francophone hears it first. Its about mocking 'traitors' on the French side, the Savoyards; les 'gironflés' - which is difficult to translate but boils down to "those we had to slap down", essentially.

Spain and Milan weren't able to react to the French counterattack in time. This wasn't the first clash between France and Savoy by any stretch; there had been other wars with Savoy siding with Spain and Milan historically before then. Making the swift French victory all more satisfying to Paris.

Once understood through that lens, it's all about the fact that Savoie betrayed an alliance and acted as an underwhelming aggressor, and how swiftly the French were able to react despite prior defeats in the southeastern alps. The song celebrates that victory and is rather jingoistic.

So it's not anti-war, but since it's the only place on the internet where there's a discussion about the song's meaning, ideally don't delete all this! :) Just so others can later understand the full meaning! Have a great day.