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Neapolitan
instruments

The putipù

Texts of the Neapolitan songs

'A zingara


Museca: Nicola Valente,

Vierze: Domenico Furnò.

Anno: 1927

The gipsy


Music: Nicola Valente,

Lyrics: Domenico Furnò.

Year: 1927


"E damme 'a mano" –
'Na zingara m'ha ditto –
"Ca, quanto pe' destino puorte scritto,
T' 'o vvoglio fà sapè.
Ce sta 'n'amico, buono quanto maje,
Ca te vò bbene assaje
E tutto fa pe' tte".

Vattenne, oje zingara,
Nun me fà ridere!
Cheste sò chiacchiere
Ca me vuò vennere
P' 'a verità!

Amice, 'ncopp' ô munno, nun esistono!
'N'amico sulo è 'o primmo amico mio,
E 'st'amico songh'io!

"E damme 'a mano
Ca te farrà piacere.
Te voglio anduvinà tutt' 'e penziere
Ca stanno 'ncap'a tte.
Tu tiene 'nu parente, gran signore
Ca, 'n'atu ppoco, more
E tu sarraje 'nu rre".

Vattenne, oje zingara,
Nun me fà ridere!
Cheste sò chiacchiere
Ca me vuò vennere
P' 'a verità!

Pariente cu 'e denare nun ne morono!
Unu parente io tengo, gran signore:
Sulamente 'stu core!

"Tu dint' ô core
'Na passione tiene
Pe' 'na femmena bella ca vuò bbene
E ca bbene te vò.
E, dint'a 'st'uocchie tuoje chiare e lucente,
'Na lacrema cucente
Ce sta passanno mò".

È overo, oje zingara!
Ce sta 'na femmena,
Sincera e tennera,
C' 'a vita a chiagnere
Passa pe' mme.

E chesta c'anduvine è 'a sola femmena
Ca i' voglio bbene cchiù d' 'a vita mia!
E chest'è mamma mia.

translated by Natalia Chernega


"Give me your hand" –
One gipsy has told me –
"About things written in your destiny,
I want to tell you.
You have a friend who is very good,
Who loves you much
And makes everything for you".

Go away, gipsy,
Don't make me laugh!
That's a chatter
That you want to pass off
As the truth!

In this world, friends don't exist!
My only and first friend
It's me!

"Give me your hand,
This thing you'll like it.
I want to divine all the thoughts
That you have in your head.
You have a noble relative
Who will die soon
And you'll be a rich man".

Go away, gipsy,
Don't make me laugh!
That's a chatter
That you want to pass off
As the truth!

Rich relatives don't die!
A noble relative that I have
It's only my heart!

"In your heart
You have a passion
For a beautiful woman who you love
And who loves you.
In your clear and shining eyes
A bitter tear
Is rolling down".

It's true, gipsy!
This woman exists,
Sincere and tender
Who lives her life in tears
Because of me.

One thing that you've divined is the woman
That I love more than my life!
This woman is my mom.

translated by Natalia Chernega