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Lyr Add: Dormi, O Bel Bambin'

05 Dec 01 - 12:24 AM (#604016)
Subject: Dormi, O Bel Bambin'
From: Genie

Here is an Italian Christmas carol I did not see mentioned in any of the Christmas song threads or in the DT.

Genie

Dormi, Dormi, O Bel Bambin'
Traditional Italian Carol

Dormi, dormi, O bel bambin',
Rè Divin', Rè Divin'.
Fa la nanna, o bambolino,
Rè Divin', Rè Divin'.
Fa la nanna, o bambolino,
La la la la   la la la la la
La la la la   la la la la. (Repeat)
Fa la la   la la la  fa la la  la la la
Fa la la  la la la  fa la la la.
 

Perche piangi, o mio tresor
Dolce amor, dolce amor.
Fa la nanna, o caro figlio,
Tanto bel', tanto bel'.
Fa la nanna, o caro figlio,
La la la la   la la la la la
La la la la   la la la la. (Repeat)
Fa la la   la la la  fa la la  la la la
Fa la la  la la la  fa la la la.

05 Dec 01 - 12:32 AM (#604021)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dormi, O Bel Bambin'
From: Sorcha

Cool!

05 Dec 01 - 12:39 AM (#604023)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dormi, O Bel Bambin'
From: Genie

I don't know how to do an MP3 easily, but I have sheet music I could fax, if you want it, Sorcha.

BTW, I found this in a book at the Portland, OR, library, so others may be able to find it in theirs.

Genie

05 Dec 01 - 01:34 AM (#604044)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dormi, O Bel Bambin'
From: Jon W.

last word, first line of second verse should be "tesor" - cut off from tesoro, literally treasure, often used as a term of endearment in Italian.

Translation of the song:

Sleep, sleep, beautiful child,
Divine King, Divine King
Fa la nanna, O dear little child,
Divine King, Divine King

Why do you cry, my treasure?
Sweet love, sweet love
Fa la Nanna, Dear Son,
So beautiful, so beautiful
Fa la nanna, O dear little child,

"fa la nanna" must be an idiomatic expression with which I'm not familiar. I ran it through several translation sites, and they could not translate the word nanna. If my memory serves, it may mean "dwarf" so the expression would literally mean "make like a dwarf". More likely, it's some kind of baby talk which probably means "cuddle down" or "go to sleep." Any real Italian speakers that can help out?

05 Dec 01 - 01:39 PM (#604326)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dormi, O Bel Bambin'
From: GUEST

Jon, are you sure it's not "tresor?" I've found that many Italian songs are written in one dialect or another, and the forms of the words vary (e.g., "cchiu" for "piu" in the Neapolitan "O Sole Mio").

Sometimes the contracted words are written with an apostrophe, e.g., "tesor'" or "tresor'."

If "nana" is "lullaby" in Spanish, maybe "nanna" means "lullaby" in Italian. So, as you suggest, "Fa la nanna," could translate somewhat literally as "do a lullaby" and idiomatically as "go to sleep" or "sing [you] to sleep" or something like that. That seems to be what the context suggests.

I have a friend who grew up in Naples, so I'll email him and see what he says -- unless therer are gatti Italiani out there who can help.

Genie

05 Dec 01 - 02:24 PM (#604377)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dormi, O Bel Bambin'
From: Ferrara

Please, I would like the sheet music. I was just thinking yesterday that I know a half dozen French carols but none in Italian.

Only trouble is, our computer phone is our FAX phone, so have to know when something is being fax'ed. Any chance you can snail mail it? PM me and we'll see what we can work out.

... It just occurs to me, I may have it in an old book of international carols. Will look, and get back to you.

"Ninna nanna a' Gesu'" means "Lullaby to Jesus," so "Fa la Nanna" is likely to just mean "Fall asleep," "Go to sleep."

I think I've heard the expression before in that context but -- CRS Syndrome rules, Can't Remember a Cussed thing about it.

Rita

05 Dec 01 - 08:13 PM (#604600)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dormi, O Bel Bambin'
From: Jon W.

I suppose "tresor" could be dialect, but the rest of the song looks pretty much standard Italian to me.

05 Dec 01 - 08:15 PM (#604602)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dormi, O Bel Bambin'
From: masato sakurai

Barbara Hendricks sang a version of this carol ("Dormi, dormi bambino") on Barbara Hendricks Sings Christmas (EMI Classics 7243 5 55536 2 1)

~Masato

06 Dec 01 - 09:31 PM (#605360)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dormi, O Bel Bambin'
From: Genie

Jon, I tried to open my Italian<-->software last night, but I couldn't, so I couldn't check for "tresor." This question, though, brings to mind "fenestra" (which I learned in Firenze [and a current Italian dictionary] as the word for "window" and "fenesta" (which is the form used in the Neapolitan "O Sole Mio."

Though I could not find my sheet music for Dormi, Dormi, O Bel Bambin' before I left town today, I think I copied the lyrics accurately from my sheet music into my computer files, from which I posted the lyrics above.

Genie

18 Nov 03 - 08:15 PM (#1056595)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dormi, O Bel Bambin'
From: GUEST,A Chours Student

I need to find out the tradition behing this song Dormi Dormi. Can anyone help me?

19 Nov 03 - 10:30 AM (#1056978)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dormi, O Bel Bambin'
From: GUEST,MMario

can't find much on the web about it - or even a sound file!

Genie - still got the dots?

12 Jan 11 - 01:34 PM (#3073131)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dormi, O Bel Bambin'
From: GUEST,leeneia

Here's a link to a YouTube that does a good job of conveying the melody:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3w4m_yIOHU&feature=related