Cummari mia, vui m'ata a diri
Comu vi l'addivati 'stu picciuni.
Avi lu pilu longu, lisciu e finu
Comu li pinni di lu mè cuscinu.

Si vi l'afferu vi lu spinnu tuttu,
Mi fazzu 'n matarazzu e mi ci curcu.

Mangimi ci nni dati picca e nenti,
Avi la vozza sò sempri vacanti.
Si mi lu dati lu fazzu mangiari
E tummi tummi ci fazzu abballari.

Picciuna nn'haju avutu a cincu a sei
E suddisfatti l'haju fattu ristari.

Cummari mia, fatimi 'stu beni:
Nun fatimi suffriri tanti peni!
Si mi lu dati ora ch'è frivaru
Lu mettu 'n mezzu a l'autri 'n picciunaru.

E ci scummettu ca s'iddu è di razza,
A l'antri, o li strapazza o mi l'ammazza.

Cummari, datimi chistu picciuni,
Picchì lu viju ssempri mottu 'i fami.
La vozza ci vulissi iu 'llinghiri,
Nun lu faciti suffriri a 'stu cumpari!

E vi prumettu ca ci dugnu a mangiari
E tummi tummi ci fazzu abballari.

My godmother, you must tell me
How you take care of this pigeon.
His feathers are long, smooth, and thin,
Just like the feathers in my pillow.

If I caught him, plucked him clean,
I'd make a mattress and lie down on it.

You give him so little to eat,
That his crop is always empty.
If you give me some feed, I'll feed him
And get him cooing.

I had five or six pigeons,
And they were all satisfied.

My godmother, do me a favour:
Don't make me suffer!
If you give him to me now, in February,
I'll put him in the dovecote with the other pigeons.

And I'll bet if he's the same breed,
He'll either fight the others off or peck them.

Godmother, give me this pigeon!
I can see he's always hungry.
I want to feed him till he's full,
Don't make your child's godfather suffer!

I promise you I'll feed him,
And get him cooing.