Notes

Annalisa from Brescia, Italy, wrote me in February 2005, "I'd like to send you the "Giro giro tondo" song that I sang as a child in the late sixties:"

Giro giro tondo
(2nd Version)

Giro giro tondo
Casca il mondo
Casca la terra
Tutti giù per terra.

English Translation

Turn, turn around
The world is falling down
The earth is falling down
Everybody's sitting down!

At the end every child sits on the floor = terra = earth.

Comments

Here's a version sent by Anna Simonetti with the note: "My name is Anna, I'm from Foggia and I'm sending you the version of Giro tondo that I sang as a child in the mid 60's.... -warm greetings."

Giro giro tondo
cavallo impero tondo
cento cinquanta
la gallina canta,
canta sola sola
non vuole andare a scuola.
La gallina bianca e nera
ci da la buona sera
buona sera buona notte
il lupo dietro la porta.

English Translation:

Turn, turn around,
Horse, empire, circle
One-hundred fifty,
The hen sings.
She sings all alone,
She doesn't want to go to school.
The black and white hen
Bids us good evening,
Good evening, good night,
The wolf at the door.

Here's another version we were sent:

Giro tondo dei nipotini di Mussolini
Giro giro tondo
il mondo e' tondo
se viene un'altra guerra anche nonno cade a terra.

English Translation (by Monique):

Turn Round Mussolini's Small Grandchildren
Turn, turn, round
The world is round
If there's another war, even Granddad will fall* on the ground.

*Literally "falls" - this includes the idea of loosing the war.

*****
Please email us the version of Giro, Giro Tondo that you know. -Mama Lisa

Download MIDI Tune

Thanks and Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Lina A. Bosco for providing the words and translation for this song. Thanks also to Thanks to Alfredo Parra for contributing the midi music and to Annalisa and Sanam Dabiri for the 2nd version of Giro giro tondo. Thanks to Anna Simonetti for the 3rd version. Thanks to Monique for the 4th translation.

Grazie mille!