Texts of the Neapolitan songs

'O cardillo dint' â cajola
Sta chiagnenno ca resta sulo
E Carmela ca resta sola
Se sta zitta, me fa pietà.

I' nun chiagno, pecché me pare
Comme fosse 'nu dissonore,
Pecché penzo ca 'o militare
Cierti ccose nun 'e ppò fà.

Ma a Carmela, mia dolce sposa,
Le ho prommiso 'na bella cosa:

Nce appresentamm' ô rre
Pe' dicere: "Maistà!
Carmela, senza 'e me,
Nun vò campà,
Nun pò campà!
Quann' 'o vvulite vuje,
Tutto se pò aggiustà:
'Na branda, a tutt'e dduje,
Nce 'a ponno dà,
Nce 'a ponno dà".

E mammella me fa 'na pena
Quanno prega a Giesù Bammino:
"Mò ch'è 'o tiempo de la nuvena
A 'stu figlio me ll'hê 'a lassà.

È 'nu buonu ciaramellaro,
Ma nun serve comme a guerriero.
Tu me lieve 'n'oggetto caro
Ca nun tiene che te ne fà".

Ma a mammella ca nun reposa,
Le ho prommiso 'na bella cosa:

Nce appresentamm' ô rre
Pe' dicere: "Maistà!
Mammella, senza 'e me,
Nun vò campà,
Nun pò campà!
Quann' 'o vvulite vuje,
Tutto se pò aggiustà:
'Na branda, a tutt'e dduje,
Nce 'a ponno dà,
Nce 'a ponno dà".

Addio, pianta 'e carufanielle,
Addio, voccole e pullicine
Ca 'a matina, tutt' 'e mmatine,
V' 'a faciveve attuorno a me.

Addio, poveri ppecurelle
Ca restate senz' 'o pastore.
I' ve lasso 'nu piezz' 'e core,
Ma nisciuno ll'ha da sapè.

Ma ô cardillo ca nun reposa,
Gli ho prommiso 'na bella cosa:

Nce appresentamm' ô rre
Pe' dicere: "Maistà!
'St'auciello, senz' 'e me
Nun vò campà,
Nun pò campà!
Quann' 'o vvulite vuje,
Tutto se pò aggiustà:
'Na branda, a quatt' e nuje,
Nce 'a ponno dà,
Nce 'a ponno dà".

The goldfinch in a cage
Is crying because it stays alone
And Carmela who stays alone
Is silent and hurts me.

I don't cry because it seems to me
It would be a shame,
Because I think a serviceman
Can't afford some things.

But to Carmela, my sweet wife,
I've promised one good thing:

We'll come to the king*
To say: "Your Majesty!
Without me Carmela
Doesn't want to live,
She can't live!
When you want it
Everything can be changed:
A military bunk bed for two
They can give us,
They can give us".

My mom also gives me pain
When she prays to Jesus Christ:
"Now that it's the novena**
I have to part with my son.

He's a shawm player,
He's not good for soldier.
You take my dear child away
Who can't serve you".

But to my mom who has no peace
I've promised one good thing:

We'll come to the king
To say: "Your Majesty!
Without me my mom
Doesn't want to live,
She can't live!
When you want it
Everything can be changed:
A military bunk bed for two
They can give us,
They can give us".

Goodbye, flowers of carnation,
Goodbye, hens and chicks,
In the morning, every morning,
You surrounded me.

Goodbye, poor sheeps,
You stay without a shepherd.
I leave you a piece of my heart
But nobody has to know it.

But my goldfinch has no peace,
I've promised it one good thing:

We'll come to the king
To say: "Your Majesty!
Without me this little bird
Doesn't want to live,
It can't live!
When you want it
Everything can be changed:
A military bunk bed for four
They can give us,
They can give us".