On their CD "Only Human", Cindy Kallet, Ellen Epstein and Michael Cicone do a wonderful version of this song. They attribute their source to Gordon Bok introducing them to a recording by the Italian group La Ciapa Rusa. The dialect is Piemontese and the translation by Imero Gobbato and Joseph Giandalone. Margaret V's version has more lyrics than this version. Perhaps someone can fill in the blanks.

GILARDIN

Re Gilardin lu 'l va a la guera (King Gilardin goes to war)
Lu 'l va a guera a tirar di spada. (He goes to war with his sword)

O quand 'l e stai mita la strada (Then in the middle of it all)
Re Gilardin 'l e restai ferito. (King Gilardin is wounded)

Re Gilardin ritorna 'ndietro (King Gilardin returns back the way he came)
Dalla sua mamma vo 'nda morire. (To his mother he wants to go to die)

O tun, tun, tun pica a la porta (Knock, knock, knock, he knocks at the door)
O mamma mia, che mi son morto. (Oh, my mother, I am dead)

O pica pian caro 'l mio figlio (oh, knock softly, my dear son)
Che la to dona 'l g'a 'n picul fante. (For your wife is giving birth to a child)

Ca sia 'n fio ca 'l sia una fiola (??)
Che sensa padre deve restare. (??)

O si e 'n fio mandel'a scola (??)
Si l'e un fiola mandela monica.(??)

O madona, la mia madona (Oh Mother-in-law, mother-in-law)
Cosa vol dire ch'i sonan tanto?. (Why are they playing the bells so much)

O nuretta, la mia nuretta (Oh daughter-in-law, my little daughter-in-law)
J g'fan 'legria al tuo fante. (They are celebrating your child)

O madona, la mia madona (Oh Mother-in-law, mother-in-law)
Cosa vol dire ca 'l gh'e tanti chiari?. (??)

O nuretta, la mia nuretta (Oh daughter-in-law, my little daughter-in-law)
O j'en i doni ch'j va int la stala. (??)

O madona, la mia madona (Oh Mother-in-law, mother-in-law)
Cosa vol dire ch'j cantan tanto. (Why are they singing so much)

O nuretta, la mia nuretta (Oh daughter-in-law, my little daughter-in-law)
J g'fan 'legria ai soldati. (They are giving cheer to the soldiers)

O madona, la mia madona (Oh Mother-in-law, mother-in-law)
Disem che giorno o da alsarmi?. (??)
Alsati 'n po' quando ti pare. (??)

O madona, la mia madona (Oh Mother-in-law, mother-in-law)
Disem che moda o da vestirme. (Tell me in what way I should dress myself)

Vestati di rosso, vestati di nero (Dress yourself in red, dress yourself in black)
Ma le brunette stanno piu bene. (But the darker color would be more appropriate)

O quand l'e stai 'nt l'us de la chiesa (Oh, when she was in the entrance way of the church)
D'un girighello si l'a incontrato. (She meets an alter-boy who says)
Bundi, bungiur an vui, vedovella. (Good morning, young widow)

O no no no, che non son vedovella (Oh, no, no, no, I am not a widow)
G'o 'l fante 'n cuna e 'l marito in guerra. (I have a child in the cradle and my husband off to war)

O si si si, che vui sei vedovella (Oh, yes, yes, yes, but you are a widow)
Vostro mari l'e trei di che 'l fa terra. (Your husband is three days in the ground)

O tera o tera aprati 'n quatro (Oh earth, earth, open up for me)
Volio vedera il mio cuor reale. (I want to see my true (or regal) heart)

La tua boca la sa di rose (Your mouth, it tastes of roses)
'Nvece la mia la sa di terra. (But mine tastes of earth)