The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #169209   Message #4219312
Posted By: Monique
17-Mar-25 - 03:05 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: Mudcat singaround songs NOT in English
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mudcat singaround songs NOT in English
This song has been collected all over Italy. This version is the one from Emilia.
CECILIA

La povera Cecilia piange il suo marì,
gliel’hanno imprigionato per farglielo morir.

"Oh signor capitano la grazia fate a me!"
"La grazia te la faccio, vieni a dormir con me!"

Allora la Cecilia corre alla prigion:
"Marito sei contento s’io vo a dormir con lui?"

"Vai, vai pure Cecilia non star pensar l’onor,
salva la vita mia, levami di prigion."

A mezzanotte in punto, Cecilia dà un sospir:
"Cosa hai tu Cecilia da non poter dormir?"

"Ho fatto un brutto sogno, ch’è morto mio marì,
se il mio marito è morto, anch’io voglio morir."

"Dormi, dormi Cecilia, dormi senza un sospir,
che domattina buon’ora il tuo marito è qui."

Alla mattin buon’ora Cecilia va al balcon,
vede il suo marito col collo a penzolon.

"Addio belli palazzi, addio belle città,
addio visin dorato e chi ti bacerà."

Laggiù al camposanto fioriscono rose e fior,
è il fior della Cecilia ch’è morta per amor.
CECILIA

Poor Cecilia laments her husband
Whom they imprisoned to kill him

"O my lord captain, grant me his pardon!"
"I will grant you his pardon, come and sleep with me"

So Cecilia runs to the prison
"My husband, would you be pleased if I slept with him?"

"Go, do go, Cecilia, don't think about honor
Save my life, get me out of prison"

At the stroke of midnight Cecilia sighs
What is wrong with you, Cecilia, that you cannot sleep?

I had a horrible dream, my husband was dead.
If he's dead, then I want to die too.

Sleep, sleep, Cecilia, sleep without a sigh,
Early tomorrow morning, your husband will be there.

Early in the morning, Cecilia goes to the balcony.
And sees her husband hanged.

Farewell, beautiful palaces, farewell, beautiful cities.
Farewell, beloved face and who will kiss it.

There, in the graveyard, a rose and a flower bloom,
It is the flower of Cecilia, who died of love.
About social status, it doesn't show in English as you have now only "you" to address people but the spouses address each other as "tu" (informal), Cecilia addresses the captain as "voi" (formal) = "la grazia fate a me", while he addresses her as "tu" = te... vieni... hai tu... dormi... tuo.

Many Italian versions of it on Cattia Salto's "Terre Celtiche" website with both lyrics and YouTube videos.

A similar story can be found in Hungary. Here is a version of "Fehér Anna" with lyrics and a video at the bottom. The song can be found as "Fehér László lovat lopott" and heard here. Google Translate gives a good idea of what it's all about. You can find other renditions on this YouTube page.

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