La Befana riccia, riccia
In parts of Italy, La Befana gives gifts to children for the holidays like Santa Claus does in other countries. She does this on the night of the Epiphany on January 5th. That's when the 3 Wise Men are said to have given their gifts to Jesus. La Befana goes around leaving presents for children, in imitation of the Three Wise Men. Befana looks like a friendly witch, with a mole on her face, wearing tattered clothes. She flies on a broom and goes down chimneys to deliver toys to the girls and boys.
La Befana riccia, riccia
La Befana, Frizzy, Frizzy
La Befana Song
La Befana Song
(Italian)
(English)
La Befana riccia, riccia,
Tutta quanta incipriata,
Va a vedere se i bambini
Sono buoni o sono cattivi.
Un bambino disobbediente,
Che non voleva mai fare niente,
La Befana se lo porta via
Nel paese delle Befane.
La Befana, frizzy, frizzy,
In a puff of dust,
Goes to see if the children
Are good or bad.
One disobedient child,
Who never wanted to do anything,
La Befana takes him away
To La Befana's land!
Comments
Translated by Lisa Yannucci.
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Grazie!