Cincirinella
Cincirinella is a tarantella... which is a traditional style of Italian dance song with a fast upbeat tempo.
Cincirinella
Cincirinella
Children's Song
Children's Song
(Italian)
(English)
Cincirinella l'aveva una mula
tutto lo giorno la dava a vettura,
le metteva la briglia e la sella,
trotta, trotta, Cincirinella.
Cincirinella sul monte e sul piano
mai non cascava ed andava lontano.
Se di scudi portava un bel sacco,
trotta, trotta, non era mai stracco!
Cincirinella correva, correva,
cento chilometri al giorno faceva
e di notte seguiva una stella,
trotta, trotta, Cincirinella!
Cincirinella andava di fretta
e se ne stava seduto a cassetta,
non temeva ne pioggia ne vento,
trotta, trotta, cantava contento!
Cincirinella l'aveva una mula
tutto lo giorno la dava a vettura,
le metteva la briglia e la sella,
trotta, trotta, Cincirinella.
Cincirenella, his mule he would hire
Hitched to his wagon she never would tire;
When she was harnessed with saddle and bridle,
Trit-trot, trit-trot, they never went idle.
Over the plains, the mountains and hills,
He never fell off, he suffered no ills.
Whenever his sack was brimful of gold,
Trit-trot, trit-trot, he never felt old.
So Cincirenella went speeding away,
Hundreds of miles he would ride every day;
When the night fell he would follow his star,
Trit-trot, trit-trot, he traveled afar.
As Cincirenella went tearing along,
Atop of his box he'd be singing a song,
Blithely he'd brave both the wind and the rain,
Trit-trot, trit-trot, he'd sing his refrain!
Cincirenella, his mule he would hire,
Hitched to his wagon she never would tire;
Once she was harnessed with saddle and bridle,
Trit-trot, trit-trot, they never went idle.
Comments
Maria Sabatino-Cabardo wrote: "I also have a little poem I saw in your site of children's songs, about Cicerenella, this is in dialect though again, our dialect from Roseto Valfortore in Foggia:
Cicerenella (Another Version)
Italian Dialect from Roseto Valfortore in Foggia
Cicerenella teneva 'nu gallo,
tutta' a' notte ce ieva a cavallo
E ce ieva tanto bello,
chist' e o gallo di Cicerenella
Cicerenella teneva nu ciuccio
ieva venenno cavalo e cappucce
e venenneva tanto bello
chist' e o ciuccio di Cicerenella
Cicerenella teneva na votta
metteva pe incoppa e asceva pe sotta
E asceva tantu bello,
chist' e a votta di Cicerenella
Italian
Cincirinella aveva un gallo
tutta la notte ci andava a cavallo
E ci andava tanto bent,
questo è il gallo di Cicirinella
Cicerenella aveva un asino,
andava in giro vendendo brocolli
e cavoli capucci.
E vendeva tanto bene,
questo è l'asino di Cicerenella.
Cicerenella aveva una botte,
il vino che lei ci metevva di sopra
uscieva di sotte
e usciva tanto bene
questa è la botte di cicerenella.
English translation
Cincirinella had a rooster
Riding a horse all night long
And it was riding very well
This is the rooster of Cincirinella
Cincirinella had a donkey
Walking around in circles selling broccoli
And green cabbages
And it was selling very well
This is the donkey of Cincirinella
Cincirinella had a cask
The wine that he was pouring in its top (lit. putting)
Was going out from its bottom
And it was going out very well
This is the cask of Cincirinella.
Nick Ferrara wrote: "Your site brought back many memories. My parents were from Roseto Valfortore and immigrated to USA in 1920. I'd like to add a verse I remember in the Rosetano dialect:
Another Verse of Cicerenella
Cicerenella teneva nu cane
muzicava li cristiani
muzicava li donne bell'
chist'e u cane di Cicerenella.
English translation
Cicerenella had a dog
He bit all the Christians [people]
He bit all the pretty ladies,
This is the dog of Cicerenella."
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Thanks to Ernestine Shargool for contributing and translating this song. Many thanks also to Maria Sabatino-Cabardo for contributing, translating the 2nd version into standard Italian and to Monique Palomares for translating it into English. Many thanks to Nick Ferrara for contributing and translating the additional verse.
Grazie mille!
