Texts of the Neapolitan songs

'Nu bellu figliulillo zampugnaro,
Ch'a Napule nun c'era stato ancora,
Comme chiagneva, 'nnante a lu pagliaro,
Quanno lassaje la 'nnammurata fora.
E a mezanotte 'ncopp'a 'nu traìno
Pe' Napule partette d'Avellino.

Ullero – ullero,
Buono e sincero.
Da lu paese a Napule arrevato,
Nce cammenava comm'a 'nu stunato.

E succedette ca, 'na bella sera,
Jette a sunà a la casa 'e 'na signora.
Tappete, luce, pavimente a ccera,
Rricchezze maje nun viste anfin'allora.
Ma se 'ncantaje, cchiù assaje de 'sti rricchezze,
Pe' ll'uocchie d' 'a signora e pe' li ttrezze.

Ullero – ullero,
Fuje 'nu mistero
Quanno jette pe' vasà â signora 'e mmane
Zitto, sentette 'e dì: "Viene dimane!"

Cielo, e comme fuje doce 'sta nuvena
Ca ll'attaccaje cu 'n'ata passiona.
E se scurdaje 'e ll'ammore 'e Filumena
Ch'era fatecatora e bbona bbona.
Ma ll'urdema jurnata ca turnaje,
Chella signora, â casa, 'un ce 'a truvaje.

Ullero – ullero,
Sturduto overo,
Avette ciento lire e 'sta 'mmasciata:
"Scurdatavella, chella è mmaretata!"

'Na casarella 'mmiez'a li mmuntagne,
'Nu fucularo cu 'nu cippo 'e pigne.
'A neve sciocca e 'na figliola chiagne.
Chisà 'stu lietto 'e sposa si se 'ncigna.
P' 'a strada sulitaria d'Avellino
Nun sta passanno manco 'nu traìno.

Ullero – ullero,
Cagna penziero:
Sta sotto a 'nu barcone appuntunato,
Poveru zampugnaro 'nnammurato.

A nice young bagpiper
Who has never been in Naples,
He cried so much on the haystack
When he left his bride in the countryside.
And at midnight on the horse-cart
He went away from Avellino* to Naples.

Ullero – ullero,
He was a kindly and sincere man.
From the countryside to Naples
He went distractedly.

It happened that one evening
He went to play the bagpipe to the house of a lady.
Carpets, chandeliers, polished floor,
The luxury that he never saw before.
Though he was fascinated not with luxury
But with the lady's eyes and hair.

Ullero – ullero,
There was mystery in this
When he went over to kiss the lady's hand
She said to him weakly: "Come tomorrow!"

Heavens, what a pleasant novena** he had,
It made him encounter the new passion!
And he forgot love of his bride Filomena
Who was a industrious and good girl.
The last day when he came
To that lady, she was not at home.

Ullero – ullero,
He was overwhelmed.
He was handed one hundred lire and this note:
"Forget her, she's married!"

A little house in the mountains,
A fireplace, filled with pine logs.
The snow is falling, a girl is crying,
Maybe, she makes up her marriage bed.
On the lonely road to Avellino
There's no horse-cart.

Ullero – ullero,
He lost his reason:
Hiding under the balcony,
Unlucky bagpiper in love stands.