The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #59826   Message #2054518
Posted By: GUEST,Tommaso
17-May-07 - 08:24 AM
Thread Name: ADD: Pepino the Italian Mouse (from Lou Monte)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pepino The Italian Mouse
Here is my attempt at providing the correct lyrics to 'Pepino' with an English translation:

C'sta nu surigile abbasciu sell' arret u mur
Ogn(e) sera chell esc quan a cas e' scud
In du minz' sala cucin abball sul l' sull
M'par(e) nu malandrin e pure gatt(e) sappaud!

Peppin u surigile m'a fatt(a) scumbari'
Mannagg' u surigile a cas(a) na da ji'!
Sta ser in da cucin(a) nu poch' e vin aggia' lassa'
E quann s'imbriaca a Peppin aggiangappa'

Chell nun c' piac' u formagg american
chell va truvann(d) nu poch'e parmuggian
Se fatt ghiatt(e) ghiatt(e) cu sta vit'(a) buhn
E quann(e) chill(e) cammin par(e) propia nu galanduom

Mannagg'(i) u surigile m'a scasciat' a man!   

______________

There's a mouse down below there behind the wall
He comes out every evening when the house is dark
He dances around by himself in the middle of the kitchen
I think he's a scoundrel and even the cat is afraid!

Peppino the Mouse you have embarrassed me
Darn it mouse - get out of the house!
This evening he left a little bit of wine in the kitchen
And when he gets drunk, I'll jump on Peppino!

He doesn't like American cheese
He goes looking for a bit of Parmesan
And if he gets really fat, life is really good
And when he walks around he really thinks he is a big shot

Darn it mouse - a mousetrap!

___________

Notes:

Abbasciu=abbasso=down below
Sell'= this one there (Peppino) Word is unique to Southern Italian dialects
Arret u mur=addietro il muro=behind the wall
Chell=quella=that one (mouse is a female noun in the Calabrian dialect)
In du minz'=in mezzo di=in the middle of
Sul l' sul= solo (da) solo=alone
scumbari'=imbarrazzarsi=embarrass; also scomparire= disappear or attract bad attention (contempt) I favor the former translation.
Na da ji'!= vattane!=get out of here! (the house)
aggia' lassa'= ha lasciato=he left (Peppino only leaves Lou a few drops of wine).
aggiangappa'=jump on; also inciampare=trip or stumble ( I favor the former translation that Lou is able to jump on Peppino because he is too drunk to get away or defend himself). However, translation could also be that Peppino trips or stumbles becasue he is drunk.
Se fatt... galanduom= Peppino has drunk most of the wine and eaten most of the cheese so life is good "cu sta vit' a buhn". So when he enters the room he struts around like a man of distinction ="galanduom=gentiluomo o uomo di distinto".

Hope this helps. Lou Monte's accent is very hard to imitate as it is a mix of Calabrian and Italian-Americanisms from New Jersey.

Tommasino