Texts of the Neapolitan songs

'Nu zampugnaro 'e 'nu paese 'e fora
Lassaje quase n'figlianza la mugliera.
Se partette pe' Napule 'e bon' ora,
Sunanno, allero allero: Ullero, ullero…

E ullero, ullero…
(Ma nun era overo;
'O zampugnaro
Penzava â mugliera
E suspirava,
E 'a zampogna 'e suspire s'abbuffava).

Cuccato 'ncopp' 'a paglia, 'o Bammeniello,
Senza manco 'a miseria 'e 'na cuperta,
Durmeva 'mmiez' â vacca e ô ciucciariello
Cu ll'uocchie 'nchiuse e c' 'a vucchella aperta.

E ullero, ullero…
Che bella faccella,
Che bella resella
Faceva Giesù
Quanno 'a Madonna
Cantava: "Core mio, fa' nonna nonna!"

'Mmiez' 'e vintuno o vintiduje d' 'o mese
'Na lettera lle dettero â lucanna.
'Sta lettera veneva d' 'o pagghiese
E sotto era firmata: Marianna.

E ullero, ullero…
"Sto bene in salute
E così spero
Sentire di te;
Sono sgravata
E dduje figlie aggio fatto, una figliata".

Tu scendi dalle stelle, o Re del cielo,
E nuje pigliammo 'e guaje cchiù alleramente.
Tasse, case cadute e friddo, gelo,
Figlie a zeffunno, e pure nun fa niente…

Ullero, ullero!
Sunate e cantate!
Sparate! Sparate!
Ch'è nato Giesù;
Giesù Bammino,
E 'a Vergine Maria s' 'o tene 'nzino!

A bagpiper from a village
Left his wife before childbirth.
He went to Naples early morning
Playing cheerfully: Ullero, ullero…*

Ullero, ullero…
(But his joy was false;
The bagpiper thought
About his wife
And sighed,
And with his sighs the bagpipe swelled).

Baby Jesus, laid on the straw,
Without even a poor's blanket
Slept between cows and donkeys
With closed eyes and open mouth.

Ullero, ullero…
What a beautiful face,
What a beautiful smile
Jesus had
When Madonna was singing:
"Sleep, my dear!"

On the twenty-first or twenty-second of the month
A letter was handed to him in the inn.
That letter was sent from his village
And was signed at the bottom: Marianna.

Ullero, ullero…
"I'm in good health
And, therefore, I hope
To hear from you the same;
I gave birth
To two children at a time".

You descend from the stars, oh King of Heaven,**
And we are encouraged to cope with troubles.
Taxes, dilapidated houses, the cold and frost,
A lot of children, but still it doesn't matter…

Ullero, ullero!
Play and sing!
Shoot fireworks!
Because Jesus is born;
Baby Jesus
And the Virgin Mary holds him in her arms!