Texts of the Neapolitan songs

Canciello 'e massaria, canciello 'nchiuso,
Che catenaccio mamma nc'êva miso.
'Sti ddoje zetelle, dduje cunfiette rose,
Sperevano pe' 'n'ommo e pe' 'nu vaso.

E manco 'a bruna, 'a cchiù maleziosa,
Puteva ascì da 'a casa cu 'na scusa.

E allora Ammore, 'ndranghete,
'Na notte che te fa?
Cu 'na scalella d'oro,
'Mbracci'â bruna se ne va.

"Nennè!", dicette 'a 'gnora,
"Che songo 'sti suspire?"

"È 'o ventariello, oje mà,
Ca smove 'e ffronne,
A notte, 'int'a ll'està".

E 'a bruna addeventaje cchiù ghianca e rossa
Senza russetto 'nfaccia e 'mpont'ô musso.
C' 'o core doce comm'a ll'ananasso
Se prufumava 'e ccarne 'e spicaddossa.

E 'a sora picciava appriesso a essa:
"Pecché sulo pe' mme, nisciuno passa?"

E allora Ammore, 'ndranghete,
'Na notte che te fa?
Da 'n'albero 'e cerase,
'Mbracci'â bionda se ne va.

"Nennè, ma chi se lagna,
Pe' 'mmiez'a 'sta campagna?"

"È 'a volpe, duorme, oje mà,
Che 'a pullanchella
È ghiuta a muzzecà".

Chiagnenno tutt'e ddoje 'mbracci'â cummara
Tenevano 'e ffaccelle comm'â cera.
Dicette 'a cummarella: "Oje nè, ve prore?
Jammo addu mamma aunite a 'sti 'signure!"

"Cummà, né catenacce o mascature,
Nce ponno pe' 'na femmena in amore.

Si vò filà, 'nu spruoccolo
Ll'abbasta pe' filà.
Si 'a 'nchiude 'int' 'a furtezza,
Mette 'e scelle e se ne va.

Si 'nnanze vede 'o ffuoco,
Si 'nnanze tene 'o mare

'Nu segno ca lle fa,
Cu ll'uocchie 'nchiuse,
'Mbracci'a 'ammore va".

"Trasite, piccerè, sposa cu sposo,
Vasate 'a mano â 'gnora e tanta scuse!"

The gates of a farmhouse, the closed gates
That mother has locked.
Two young girls, two beautiful roses,
Were dreaming about men and kisses.

Even the brunette, the most astute daughter,
Couldn't go out of the house under false pretence.

And then love, suddenly,
What can it give you at night?
By ladder
Someone ascends to brunette's arms.

"My daughter!" – the lady has said, –
"What are these sighs?"

"It's the wind, oh, mom,
The wind that moves the leaves
At night, in summer".

And the brunette blushed
Without rouge on cheeks and lipstick on her lips.
Having the gentle heart like a pineapple
She smelled of lavender.

And her sister glowed together with her:
"Why does nobody come to me?"

And then love, suddenly,
What can it give you at night?
In the cherry tree
Someone climbs to blonde's arms.

"My daughter, but who moans
In the middle of the field?"

"It's a fox, go to sleep, oh, mom,
It's a fox that has come
To catch a hen".

Both girls, crying in their godmother's arms,
Were pale, their faces were like a wax.
Their godmother said: "Oh, girls, do you wish it?
Let us go to your mother with these two men!"

"Godmother, neither lock nor bolt
Can hold a woman in love.

If she wants to run away
She needs only a cane.
If they lock her up in a castle
She flies away as if she has the wings.

If she sees before her the fire,
If there's the sea in front of her,

A sign they make her,
With closed eyes
She flings herself into the arms of love".

"Come in, my daughters, wife with husband,
Kiss my hand, a thousand pardons!"