'O guarracino - The Chromis

Lo guarracino, ca jeva pe' mare Lle venne voglia de se 'nzorare Se facette 'no bello vestito De scarde de spine, pulito pulito Co 'na parrucca tutta 'ngrifata De ziarelle 'mbrasciolate Co lo sciabbò, scollo e puzine De seta 'ngrese, fina fina Doje belle cateniglie De premmone de conchiglie 'No cappiello aggallonato De codarino d'aluzzo salato Tutto posema e steratiello Jeva facenno lo sbafantiello Girava da ccà e da llà La 'nnammorata pe' se trovà La sardella, a lo barcone Steva sonanno lo calascione E, a suono de trommetta Jeva cantanno 'st'arietta: "E llarè lo mare e lena E la figlia d' 'a zia Lena Ha lassato lo 'nnammorato Pecché niente ll'ha rialato" Lo guarracino che la guardaje De la sardella se 'nnammoraje Se ne jette da 'na vavosa La cchiù vecchia e maleziosa Ll'ebbe bona rialata Pe' mmannarle 'na 'mmasciata La vavosa, pisse pisse Chiatto e tunno nce lo disse La sardella ca la sentette Rossa rossase facette Pe' lo scuono ca se pigliaje Sott'a 'nu coglio se 'mpezzaje Ma la vechia de la vavosa Subbetodisse: "Ah, schefenzosa! De 'sta manera nun truove partito 'Nganna te resta lo marito Se haje voglia de t'allocà Tanta smorfie non haje da fà! Fora le zeze, fora lo scuorno Anema e core e faccia de cuorno!" Ciò sentenno, la zia sardella S'affacciaje a la fenestella E fece 'n'uocchio a zennariello A lo speruto 'nnammoratiello Ma la patella, ca steva de posta La chiammaje: "Faccia tosta Tradetora, sbrevognata Senza parola, male nata" Ch'avea 'nchiantato ll'alletterato Primmo e antico 'nnammorato De carrera da chisto jette E ogne cosa lle dicette Quanno lo 'ntise lo poveriello Se lo pigliaje farfariello Jette a la casa, s'armaje a rasulo Se carrecaje comm'a 'no mulo De scoppette, de spingarde Povere, palle, stoppa e scarde Quatto pistole e tre bajonette Dint'a la sacca se mettette Tu mme lieve la 'nnammorata E pigliatella 'sta mazziata!" Tuffete e taffete, a meliune Lle deva pacchere e secozzune Schiaffe, ponie e perepesse Scoppolune, fecozze e conesse Scervecchiune e sicutennosse E ll'ammaccaje osse e pilosse Muorze e pizzeche a beliune A deluvio li secozzune Non ve dico che vivo fuoco Ca se faceva per ogne luogo Te - te - ttè, ccà pistolate Ta - ta - ttà, llà scoppettate Tu - tu - ttù, ccà li pistune Bu - bu - bbù, llà li cannune Quanta botte, mamma mia Ca se devano. Arrassosia! A centenare le bbarrate A meliune le ppetrate Ma de cantà sò già stracquato E mme manca mo' lo sciato Sicché, dateme licenza Graziosa e bella audienza! from the late 1700s, author unknown

The chromis that swam in the sea, to him came the desire to find a wife. He made himself a fine suit of spine flakes, very clean-cut, with a full wig wrapped in ribbons, with a collar, neck kerchief, and cuffs, of English silk, so very fine. Two small beautiful chains of cockle-shells, an elegant hat of ling tail. Everything starched and ironed, he was being a show-off, he swam here and there a sweetheart for to find. A sardine, on her balcony, was playing the lute, and, at the sound of a trumpet, she sang this little aria: "And he took to the sea and begging, and the daughter of my aunt Lena left her sweetheart because he gave nothing to her!" The chromis who watched her fell in love with the sardine. He went away to a blenny the oldest and slyest. He gave her a good reward to send her a message. The blenny, psst, psst, clear and round he told it to her. The sardine who heard it, red and redder it did make. For the shame that gripped her, under a rock she slipped. But the old blenny immediately said, "Ah, squeamish one! In this manner you won’t find a good match, a husband will remain just a thought. “If you wish to settle down, so much wincing you should not do! Come out with the graces, out with the shame, heart and soul and some nerve!” Hearing this, the aunt sardine faced out the window and gave a wink to the hopeful suitor. But the limpet that stood lurking called her, "The gall, traitor, hussy, speechless, low-born," because she had left the tunny, her first and oldest flame. At full speed she went to this one and told him every little thing. When the poor tunny heard it, he was taken over by Farfarello. He went home, he armed himself with a razor, he loaded himself up like a mule with guns, stone-launchers, powders, bullets, oakum, and shrapnel, four pistols and three bayonets – into a pouch he put them. “You stole my sweetheart, take this blow!" Slam, bam, by the millions, he gave him blows to the cheek and neck, smacks, punches, batterings, stabs, jabs, hits, kicks, uppercuts, and he smashed his bones and cartilages. Bites and pinches by the billions, a diluvium of blows to the neck, I’m not telling you that live fire was done for every spot . . . Te - te - ttè, here pistol shots, ta - ta - ttà, there shotgun fire, tu - tu - ttù, here the culverins, bu - bu - bbù, there the cannons. So many beatings, mamma mia, that were given. Be gone! Hundreds of thrashings, millions of stonings. But I’m already tired of singing and now I’m out of breath. For this, give me leave, gracious and fine public! English translation © 2023 Dennis Criteser oggi o dimane ("today or tomorrow"), published in 2001, is the first of a trilogy of albums Massimo Ranieri singing traditional Neapolitan songs, produced by Mauro Pagani. The arrangements are fresh with a contemporary appeal and Ranieri's voice is, as always, passionate and full of life. Pagani is a multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of the influential progressive rock band PFM, and is also well-known for producing Creuza de mä, Fabrizio De André's 1983 world fusion masterpiece. The Neapolitan Song tradition dates back centuries, but the classic period began in the 1830s. Ranieri and Pagani later produced a 6-CD box set Canzone napoletana piccola enciclopedia, published in 2015. Ranieri's live performances of these songs are a pleasure to see, showing off his dancing and theatrical skills.