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Famous
Neapolitans

Elvira Donnarumma

(18 mar 1883 -
22 may 1933)

An Italian singer.

Texts of the Neapolitan songs

Quanno mammeta nun ce sta


Museca: Salvatore Gambardella,

Vierze: Giovanni Capurro.

Anno: 1904

When your mother isn't at home


Music: Salvatore Gambardella,

Lyrics: Giovanni Capurro.

Year: 1904


A guardarte sempe accussì
È 'na cosa ca nun mme va.
Quacche ghiuorno famme saglì
Quanno mammeta nun ce sta.

Io nun pozzo arrivà a capì
Che carattere tiene tu:
Mo te trovo a chicchirichì,
Mo te trovo a cucchericù.

Quanno vaco pe' te parlà
Sempe 'a vocca mm'aggi' 'a appilà.
Ma putimmo,
Ma putimmo tirà accussì?

"Vene mammema, lete 'a ccà!
Ce sta fratemo, nun guardà!"
A chi santo,
A chi santo vuò fà ammalì?

Pe' 'st'ammore ca sento, oje nè,
'Nu rialo te voglio fà.
Si ll'acciette voglio vedè
Che ne dice mammà e papà.

E vulesse pur'io tenè
'Nu ricordo pe' mm'astipà.
Sissignore, che male nc'è?
'Nu regalo tu mm' 'o può dà.

Tu mme daje 'na cosa a me,
Io te dongo 'na cosa a te
E ll'ammore,
E ll'ammore accussì se fa.

Che nce passa tra me e te,
Manco 'a gatta ll'ha da sapè.
Acqua 'mmocca,
Acqua 'mmocca e lass' 'e pparlà!

Quanno frateto 'appurarrà,
Accummencia: chiacchià, chiucchiù.
Ma 'o rialo po' va a guardà,
Se 'mbriaca e nun parla cchiù.

Accummencia, pe' se 'nquartà,
Pure pateto ca nun vò.
Saglie mammeta p'appurà
E pur'essa fa 'nu "to-tò".

Po' se guardano tutt' 'e ttre
E s'avotano 'nfacci'a te:
"Quann'è chesto,
Quann'è chesto sagliesse ccà".

Tu rispunne: "Se sape, embè,
'Stu rialo v' 'o fa pecché,
Pecché chillo,
Pecché chillo sagliuto è già".

translated by Natalia Chernega


To look at you this way
Is the thing that doesn't fit me.
One day, let me enter to your house
When your mother isn't at home.

I can't understand
What character you have:
Now I see you in a good humor,
Now I see you in bad humour.

When I try to talk with you
I always become silent.
But can we,
But can we go on this way?

"My mom is coming back, run away!
There's my brother, don't look!"
What saint,
What saint do you want to charm?

For this love what I feel, oh, dear,
I want to make you a gift.
If you take it I want to know
What your mom and dad say about it.

And I also would like to have
Something for memory from you.
Yes, what's bad in this?
You also can make me a gift.

You give something to me,
I give something to you
And love,
And love comes out this way.

What's happening between me and you
Even a cat has not to know it.
Keep silent,
Keep silent and let them talk!

When your brother gets to know it,
He will begin to talk profusely.
But then he'll see a gift,
He gets drunk and stops to talk.

Begins to be angry
Also your father, he's also against.
Your mom enters to get to know
And she also threatens you with finger.

Then they all look at each other
And tell you:
"Since it's so,
Since it's so, let him come here!"

You answer: "Of course, ok,
He's made this gift to you because,
Because he,
Because he already was here".

translated by Natalia Chernega