Nanna di u Cuscionu
This lullaby was collected in "Canti popolari corsi" by Salvatore Viale in 1843. This version can be found in "Cantu nustrale" (Ed. Albiana, 2009) by Ghjermana de Zerbi (born in 1939).
The Coscione plateau, in Corsican U Cusciunu, is a plateau located in Corsica, in the Monte Incudine massif, at around 1,500 meters above sea level (per French Wikipedia).
Nanna di u Cuscionu
Lullaby of the Coscione
Lullaby
Lullaby
(Corsican)
(English)
1 In li monti di Cuscionu
C'era natu una zitedda
È la so cara mammoni
Li facia la nannaredda
È quand' edda l'annannava
Stu talentu li prigaia.
2 Addurmentati parpena
Alegrezza di mammoni
Ch'aghju da allestì la cena
È da cosgia li piloni
Pà u to tintu babbareddu
È par li to fratiddoni.
3 Quandu vo sareti grandi
Vi faremu lu vistitu
La camisgia, lu gunneddu
È l'imbustu ben varnitu
Di stu pannu sfinazzatu
Chì si tessi in Curtichjatu.
4 Vi daremu lu maritu
Addivatu à li stazzali
Un biddissimu partitu
È sarà lu capurali
Di li nostri muntagnoli
Picuraghji è capraghjoli.
5 Quandu andareti spusata
Purtareti li frineri
N'andareti in cavalcata
Cun tutti li muddaccheri
Passareti insannicciata
À carramusa imbuffata.
6 Lu sposu vi andrà davanti
Cun li sò beddi cusciali
Vi sarannu tutti quanti
Li so cugini carnali
À la Zonza di Tavera
Vi faranu la spaddera.
7 Quandu arriveti à lu stazzu
Duva avareti po da stà ni
Surtarà la suciarona
È vi tuccharà la mani
È vi sara prisintatu
Un tineddu di caghjatu.
1. In the Coscione mountains
A little girl was born
And her dear grandma
Would sing her a lullaby,
And while she was cradling her,
She would wish for her these fortunes...
2. Sleep a moment,
Grandma's joy,
For I have to prepare the dinner
And to mend the piloni*
For your poor daddy
And your big brothers.
3. When you are a maiden
We'll make your dress,
Your shirt, your skirt
And your blouse well adorned
With this fine fabric
That is woven in Curtichjatu.
4. We'll give you a husband
Raised among shepherds,
An excellent match,
And he will be the head
Of our mountain men,
Shepherds and goatherds.
5. When you are married
You'll hold the beribboned distaffs**,
You'll go on horse
With the whole wedding party,
You'll pass in majesty
To the sound of the bagpipes playing.
6. Your husband will walk ahead of you
With his fine waders***,
There will be all
Of his first cousins
At Zonza di Tavera,
They'll form the guard of honor for you.
7 When you arrive at the sheep shed
Where you'll then have to dwell
Your old mother-in-law will come out
And she'll shake your hand
And you'll be presented with
A cask of curds.
Notes
*A "pilone" ("piloni" in plural) is piece of Corsican goatherd clothing: a cloak made with goat's hair.
**In many areas, the bride was given a distaff decorated with ribbons on her wedding day. It represented the tasks that awaited her as a housewife in her new household.
***Heavy, high galoshes
Comments
The spelling of this song can be slightly different depending upon when and where it was collected.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Translated by Monique Palomares.
