Era de Maggio

Di Giacomo – Costa 1885


Era de maggio e te cadeano n’zino

a schiocche a schiocche li cerase rosse,

fresca era l’aria e tutto lu ciardino

addurava de rose a ciento passe.


Era de maggio; io, no, nun me ne scordo,

’na canzona cant.vemo a doje voce…

cchi. tiempo passa e cchi. ne n’allicordo,

fresca era l’aria e la canzona doce.


E diceva: “Core, core!

core mio, luntano vaje;

tu me lasse e io conto l’ore,

chi sa quanno turnarraje!”

Rispunneva io: “Turnarraggio

quanno tornano li rose,

si ’stu sciore torna a maggio

pure a maggio io stongo cca.”.


E so’ turnato e mo’, comm’a na vota

cantammo ’nzieme la canzone antica;

passa lu tiempo e lu munno s’avota

ma ammore vero, no, nun vota viche.


De te, bellezza mia, m’annammuraje,

si t’allicuorde, ’nnanze a la funtana,

l’acqua l. dinto nun se secca maje,

e ferita d’ammore nun se sana.


Nun se sana; ca sanata

si se fosse, gioia mia,

mmiezo a st’aria mbarzamata

a guardarte io nu’ starria!


E te dico: “Core, core!

Core mio, turnato io so’,

torna maggio e torna ammore,

fa de me chello che vuo’!”



It was May


It was May and bunches of red cherries

were falling into your lap,

the air was fresh and the whole garden

and a hundred paces beyond it smelled of roses.


It was May; no, I shall never forget,

we sang a song together,

the more time passes the better I remember it,

and the air was fresh and the song very pretty.


You said: “Dear heart, dear heart,

dear heart of mine! You’re going away;

you’re leaving me to count the lonely hours,

and who knows when you’ll return!”


And I replied: “I shall return

when the roses bloom again,

like the flowers that comes again in May,

I too shall then return.”


And I returned and now, together,

we sing the same song as before;

time passes and the world changes

but true love always holds its course.


I fell in love with you, my beauty,

beside the fountain, if you remember,

its water never runs dry,

and likewise love’s wounds never heal.


They never heal; for if they did,

I should be standing here, my darling,

in this sweetly-scented garden,

looking at you!


And I say to you: “Dear heart, dear heart,

dear heart of mine! I have returned,

when May returns, then so I does love,

now do with me what you will!”