Serenata Napulitana

Di Giacomo – Costa 1896


Dimme, dimme a chi pienze assettata,

sola sola, addereto a ’sti lastre?…

’Nfacci’ ’o muro ’e rimpetto stampata

veco ’n’ombra e chest’ombra si’ tu…

Doc’ è ’a notte e ’na luna d’argiento

saglie ’ncielo e cchiù ghianca addeventa

e ’nu sciato ogne tanto d’o viento

pe’ chest’aria se sente ’e passa’…


Ah, che notte, che notte!…

Ma pecchè nun t’affacce?

Ma pecchè, ma pecchè me ne cacce,

Catari’ senza manco parla’?…

Ma ce sta ’nu destino,

e io ce credo e ce spero,

Catari’, nun è ’o vero: tu cuntenta nun si’!…


Catari’, Catari’ m’e lassato,

tutto ’nzieme st’ammore è fernuto,

tutto ’nzieme t’e sciveto a ’n’ato,

m’e ’nchiantato e m’e ditto “bonnì”!

E a chist’ato ca amo tu vuo’ bene,

staje penzanno e, scetata, l’aspiette;

ma chist’ato stasera nun vene,

e maie cchiù, t’o dich’io venarrà!…


No! Nun vene, nun vene…

l’aggio visto p’a strata

cammena’ core a core cu’ ‘nata

e, rerenno, parlavano ’e te…

Tu si’ stata traduta!

Tu si’ stata lassata!

Tu si’ stata ’nchiantata!

Pure tu, pure tu!…


Catari’, nun è ’o vero: tu cuntenta nun si’!…



Neapolitan serenate


Tell me, who are you thinking of, seated

all alone behind your window-panes?…

I see a shadow projected onto the wall

opposite, and you are that shadow…

The night is sweet, the silvery moon

is rising and becoming ever brighter

and every now and then I feel

a breath of wind brush past me…


Ah, what a night, what a night!…

Why don’t you come over to the window?

Why did you throw me over,

Catherine, without a word?…

But there is such a thing as fate,

and I believe in it and trust it,

Catherine, it is not true: you’re not content!…


Catherine, you discarded me,

all at once your love was ended,

as suddenly you chose another,

you ditched me and you said “goodnight”!

And now it is this other man you love,

of whom you think, for whom you watch and

wait; but he will not come to you this evening,

not ever again, believe me!…



No! He will not come…

I saw him in the street

walking with another, arms entwined

and, laughing, they were talking about you…

You have been deceived!

You have been let down!

You have been discarded!

You too, you too!…




I see a shadow projected onto the wall

opposite, and you are that shadow…

The night is sweet, the silvery moon

is rising and becoming ever brighter

and every now and then I feel

a breath of wind brush past me…


Ah, what a night, what a night!…

Why don’t you come over to the window?

Why did you throw me over,

Catherine, without a word?…

But there is such a thing as fate,

and I believe in it and trust it,

Catherine, it is not true: you’re not content!…


Catherine, you discarded me,

all at once your love was ended,

as suddenly you chose another,

you ditched me and you said “goodnight”!

And now it is this other man you love,

of whom you think, for whom you watch and

wait; but he will not come to you this evening,

not ever again, believe me!…



No! He will not come…

I saw him in the street

walking with another, arms entwined

and, laughing, they were talking about you…

You have been deceived!

You have been let down!

You have been discarded!

You too, you too!…