Lyrics and translation Nuova Compagnia di Canto Popolare - Canzone dei sette mariti

Canzone dei sette mariti

'A primma vota ca me spusaie,
'Nu navigante io m"o pigliaie,
P"o primmo viaggio po' me 'mbarcaie
E nfri nfro nfra.
Ma quanno 'a nave trasette 'mpuorto
Maritu mio mò stance accuorto,
Ma 'a sera stessa
'E vvele acalaie,
A poppa tuzzaie
Po' s'affunnaie c"o nfri nfro nfra...
'A siconda vota ca me spusaie,
De 'nu surdato me 'nnammuraie
C"a ffa' la guerra po' me 'mparaie
E nfri nfro nfra,
Ma 'a primma notte d"o serra serra
Maritu mio che ffaie 'nguerra
Apprimma avanzaie,
Po' s' arritiraie,
'A bannera acalaie,
Perdette 'a guerra e cchiù nun turnaie
E nfri nfro nfra...
E 'a quinta vota ca me spusaie,
Nu mariuolo io me pigliaie,
Ca 'a chiava faveza me rialaie
E nfri nfro nfra.
E tutt"e notte pe' dint"o scuro,
Vuleva rompere 'a mascatura
Io l'avvisaie,
Ma isso furzaie,
Po' jastemmaie,
E 'a chiava faveza se spezzaie
E nfri nfro nfra...
E 'a sesta vota fuie 'o destino,
'Nu sunatore c"o viulino,
Ca m"o faceva 'nu cuncertino
E nfri nfro nfra...
Ma po' facennome 'a serenata,
Tutt"o strumento s'eva scurdato,
E 'o "mi" pruvaie,
E 'o"re" tuccaie,
Ma nun fuie capace,
E i' ce 'o cantaie st'atu requie e pace
E nfri nfro nfra...
'E chistu passo l'aggio pruvato
Aroppo 'e chisto ancora n'ato,
Ma a tutte quante l'aggio atterrate
E nfri nfro nfra...
E mò arapimmo 'stu testamiento
Ma senza spennerce 'nu lamiento.
Nisciuno 'e lloro me lassaie niente
E nfri nfro nfra...

Song of the Seven Husbands

The first time I married,
I took a sailor,
On the first trip, he took me on board
And nfri nfro nfra.
But when the ship set sail
My husband grew frightened,
But that very evening
He lowered the sails,
He ran to the stern
Then he sank with nfri nfro nfra...
The second time I married,
I fell in love with a soldier
Who taught me to wage war
And nfri nfro nfra,
But on the first night, as we lay together
My husband, who was fighting a war
First advanced,
Then retreated,
He lowered the flag,
He lost the war and never returned
And nfri nfro nfra...
And the fifth time I married,
I took a thief,
Who stole my golden key
And nfri nfro nfra.
And all night long, in the dark,
He tried to break the lock
I warned him,
But he forced it,
Then he cursed,
And the golden key broke
And nfri nfro nfra...
And the sixth time it was destiny,
A musician with a violin,
Who played me a concert
And nfri nfro nfra...
But then, as he serenaded me,
He had forgotten all his instruments,
And he tried the "E"
And he touched the "D"
But he was not capable,
And so I sang him this final requiem
And nfri nfro nfra...
And I have tried this passage
And then, after this, another,
But I have left all of you behind
And nfri nfro nfra...
And now I am making this testament
But without wasting a lament.
None of them left me anything
And nfri nfro nfra...