Farm workers used to be hired either on All Saints' Day (Nov. 1st), or on St Michael's Day (Sept. 29th) or on Saint John's Day (June 24th) depending on the area and the type of work.

MIA, TOTSANTS S'APRÒCHA (Occitan) Mia, Totsants s'apròcha, la bèla, la le, I a pas res que l'empacha, la bèla, le la. Nos cal cambiar de mèstre, la bèla, la le, Nos cal cambiar de bòria, la bèla, le la. Regrete pas lo mèstre, la bèla, la le, Ni mai la mestressa, la bèla, le la. La sopa èra cauda, la bèla, la le, Mes i aviá pas que d'aiga, la bèla, le la. E lo jorn de la paga, la bèla, la le, Los mèstres èran malautes, la bèla, le la. Mia, Totsants s'apròcha, la bèla, la le, I a pas res que l'empacha, la bèla, le la.

SWEETHEART, ALL SAINTS' DAY IS GETTING NEAR Sweetheart, All Saints' Day is getting near, la bèla, la le,* Nothing can stop it, la bèla, le la. We must change master, We must change farm. I don't regret the master, Neither do I the mistress. The soup was hot But it was only water. And on pay day The masters were ill. Sweetheart, All Saints' Day is getting near, Nothing can stop it.

*"La bèla" means "the beautiful one/the beauty" but I'm not sure it's intended to address anyone here.

Recording by Los del Sauveterre

There are more well-known versions on a different tune with more or less long descriptions of their bad living conditions (the master is brutal, stingy…, the mistress is evil, a bad cook -on purpose-, stingy…)
You can watch it sung here or listen to this recording by the late Rosina de Pèira and her daughter Martina.


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