Doug Sapetti wrote:
Mama Lisa
I am writing to see if you know, have heard of, or can translate a nursery rhyme/song that has been sung to kids in my family since I was old enough to remember. The words are Italian, and I don’t know if I am spelling them correctly or not. The song/rhyme goes something like this:
Trita, bedita, kamisine yonka fitea, fite to da mama ting, vidi vidi vidi, cootaling!
Now, I obviously don’t know the correct spelling of each of the words, but have done my best to spell it as I know the words to be pronounced. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated. I have known this song since I was a young boy and now sing it to my daughter, but have no idea what it means. My father’s parents were from Torin, Italy in the northwest mountains, if I am correct.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Doug Sapetti
If anyone can help with this song, please comment below.
Much appreciated!
Lisa
This article was posted on Tuesday, May 15th, 2007 at 6:30 pm and is filed under Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Italian, Italian Children's Songs, Italian Nursery Rhymes, Italy, Languages, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Readers Questions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
June 6th, 2007 at 2:11 am
Hello, I am an Italian girl, but I don’t understand the words, it perhaps sung in Turinese dialect.
December 6th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
I am a member of the Sapetti family. This is what we call a lullaby.
The song loosely translates as:
Trita, bedita – I believe just rhyming words to mimic rocking in a chair
La camiche nunca fata – The shirt is not made
Fato doman (domani) matin (mattina) – I’ll make it tomorrow morning
Vidi, vidi, vidi catalin
I believe last last part is dialect translation of “life, life, life goes on”. Actually “to go on” is continua in Italian. Again, I stress the dialect and the desire to rhyme.
February 16th, 2019 at 2:49 pm
That you for posting this question! My family came from Turin as well, and my Grandmother would sing us this song while bouncing us on her knee. I’m glad I found the lyrics, so now I can pass it on.