La me nòna l'è vecchierèlla
This song is in the Trentino dialect from northern Italy.
The well-known freedom song Bella ciao get its tune and structure from this song.
La me nòna l'è vecchierèlla
My Grandma is a Little Old Lady
Children's Song
Children's Song
(Italian Dialect)
(English)
La me nòna l'è vecchierèlla,
la me fa ciau
la me diś ciau
la me fa ciau ciau ciau
la me manda la funtanèla
a tor l'aqua per deśinar.
Fontanèla mi no ghe vago
la me fa ciau
la me diś ciau
la me fa ciau ciau ciau
fontanèla mi no ghe vago
perché l'aqua la me pol bagnar.
Ti darò cincento scudi,
la me fa ciaou
la me diś ciau
la me fa ciau ciau ciau
ti darò cincento scudi
perché l'aqua la te pol bagnar.
Cinque scudi l'è assai denaro
la me fa ciau
la me diś ciau
la me fa ciau ciau ciau
cinque scudi l'è assai denaro
perché l'aqua la me pol bagnar.
Alor corro a la fontanèlla
la me fa ciau
la me diś ciau
la me fa ciau ciau ciau
alor corro a la fontanèlla
a tor l'aqua per deśinar.
My grandma is a little old lady,
She waves bye-bye to me
She tells me bye-bye,
She waves to me bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye,
She sends me to the fountain
To get water for dinner.
I won't go to the fountain
She waves to me bye-bye
She tells me bye-bye,
She waves to me bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye,
I won't go to the fountain
Because the water can get me wet.
I'll give you five hundred crowns,
She waves to me bye-bye
She tells me bye-bye,
She waves to me bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye,
I'll give you five hundred crowns
Because the water can get you wet.
Five crowns is a lot of money,
She waves to me bye-bye
She tells me bye-bye,
She waves to me bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye,
Five crowns is a lot of money
Because the water can get me wet.
So I run to the fountain,
She waves to me bye-bye
She tells me bye-bye,
She waves to me bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye,
So I run to the fountain
To get water for dinner.
Notes
The translation can be made more Italian-sounding by replacing "bye-bye" with "ciao".
Thanks!
E la mia nonna è vecchierella (My grandma is a little old lady)
e mi fa ciao (and she waves to me bye)
mi dice ciao (she tells me bye)
e mi fa ciao ciao ciao (and she waves to me bye, bye, bye)
lei mi manda alla fontanella (she sends me to the fountain)
a prendere l'acqua per desinar. (to get water for dinner.)
Alla fontana io non ci vado... (To the fountain I won't go…)
... perché l'acqua può bagnar. (…because the water can get you wet.)
Io ti darò cinquanta scudi... (I'll give you fifty crowns…)
...perché l'acqua può bagnar. (…because the water can get you wet.)
Cinque scudi è assai denaro... (Five crowns is a lot of money…)
...perché l'acqua può bagnare. (…because the water can get you wet.)
Allora corro alla fontana... (Then I run to the fountain…)
...a prendere l'acqua per desinare. (…to get water for dinner.)
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Translated by Monique and Lisa.
Grazzie!
