Lullabies from Calabria

DonnaPellegrin · Mem Joined: Feb 02, 2009 Posts: 66

Hi again, everyone, and thank you so much for the warm welcome to the site. I really enjoy being here.

I am currently looking for Calabrese lullabies to include in my family history book. I know that they won't be exactly the same lullabies that my ancestors used but I would like to include one or two lullabies in my book as typical examples. I found these three lullabies in a book that I have, and I was hoping that someone here could help me translate them into either standard Italian or English. Also, I would love to know if anyone here has heard these or similar lullabies in Calabria.

1st
Ndi e ndi e nda
chistu è lu bellu
de mamma sa (sua).
O ninna nanna o ninna ninna nonna
a vera mamma tua è dra Madonna

2nd
Veniti suonni e nommu addimurati
ca lu zitiedu miu me l'addurmiti

3rd
Bambinuzzu supa alla cascia
veni Maria, ti pigghia e t'infascia
e ti duna dolci ninnella
duormi duormi facciuzza bella.

Thanks so much!
Donna

Cathy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 10, 2007 Posts: 2681

My grandmother's cousin used to sing old local Calabrese lullabies and songs. I wish I had recorded her singing them! She had such a sweet voice. These do not look familiar to me though. Sorry.

liviomoreno · Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:55 am Post subject: Re: Lullabies from Calabria

Let me try wuth the 1st

Ndi e ndi e nda (cannot be translated it's just singing)
this is the handsome
of his mother.
Oh lullaby oh lullaby grandmother
your true mother is the Holy Mother

Edited to correct the spelling of the word true

Carole · Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 11:36 am Post subject: Re: Lullabies from Calabria

Well - English yes, Milanes yes... Valtellinese even, but Calabrese could almost be a foreign language - but here's my attempt at No 3

The best O could come up with was.....

3rd
Bambinuzzu supa alla cascia
veni Maria, ti pigghia e t'infascia
e ti duna dolci ninnella
duormi duormi facciuzza bella.

Little baby in the stable,
Maria is coming, she'll squeeze you and swaddle you,
and she'll tell you a sweet lullaby
sleep sleep beautiful innocent babe

uantiti · Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 1:42 pm Post subject: Re: Lullabies from Calabria

I'm not Calabrian but I understand a bit:

2nd
Come sleepiness and stay here so that my baby can get asleep

In Italian would be (I hope)
Venite sonno ma per restare così il mio bambino me l'addormentate.

3rd (in Italian)
Bambinello sopra la cassa (cassapanca)
viene Maria, ti prende e ti fascia
ti dona dolci ninnenanne
dormi dormi faccina bella (or visino bello)

Ada

Carole · Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:36 pm Post subject: Re: Lullabies from Calabria

Thanks Ada, kiss

Well - I didn't do too bad (for a Brit).... I only got 90% of #3 wrong.

I'll make it as a translator yet - you see if I don't peep

Then again - maybe I should stick to what I know - gibberish!

DonnaPellegrin · Mem Joined: Feb 02, 2009 Posts: 66

You guys are amazing. Thank you! I never realized that ninnananna meant lullaby. It's even in my Italian-English dictinary. Great work, folks. Nicely done. Much appreciated. Very Happy

nuccia · Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 11:37 pm Post subject: Re: Lullabies from Calabria

Carole..at least you and Ada and Livio all tried..I am Calabrese and I couldn't even get past the ninnananna part.. lol

Donna..are you also Calabrese? Refresh my memory here as I am a dork most of the time..(think it may be the company I have been keeping lately) *runs and hides before Mum gets me*

Note to Donna: Carole's real name is DORK VADER...

uantiti · Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 7:09 am Post subject: Re: Lullabies from Calabria

Carole wrote:

Thanks Ada, kiss

Well - I didn't do too bad (for a Brit).... I only got 90% of #3 wrong.

I'll make it as a translator yet - you see if I don't peep

Then again - maybe I should stick to what I know - gibberish!

Hi Carol,
I couldn't belive that a Brit could understand Calabrese! For an Italian it's a bit easier. How about if I write a Piedmontese (Biellese) sentence?

A t'è pròpi 'n gamba. Ven fòra da dadarè al sufà

It looks worse than Calabrese ......but if you understand Milanese you'll get it. Mr. Green

Ada

DonnaPellegrin · Mem Joined: Feb 02, 2009 Posts: 66

Quote::

Donna..are you also Calabrese? Refresh my memory here as I am a dork most of the time..(think it may be the company I have been keeping lately) *runs and hides before Mum gets me*

Nuccia, Thanks for asking. I posted a bit more about my quest in my first thread back on the introductions forum. I am nothing if not organized. Wink

Keep up the good work.

Donna

Carole · Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 2:20 pm Post subject: Re: Lullabies from Calabria

uantiti wrote:

Carole wrote:

Thanks Ada, kiss

Well - I didn't do too bad (for a Brit).... I only got 90% of #3 wrong.

I'll make it as a translator yet - you see if I don't peep

Then again - maybe I should stick to what I know - gibberish!

Hi Carol,
I couldn't belive that a Brit could understand Calabrese! For an Italian it's a bit easier. How about if I write a Piedmontese (Biellese) sentence?

A t'è pròpi 'n gamba. Ven fòra da dadarè al sufà

It looks worse than Calabrese ......but if you understand Milanese you'll get it. Mr. Green

Ada

Tu sei proprio in gamba. Vieni fuori da dietro il divano.... Giusto????

Se ti minga capi - ti fu capi mi!!!!

Quando uno ha una personalità cosi scintillante (per non dire scema Rolling Eyes

) come la mia - gli Milanesi dicono:

"Se ghin, ghin. Se ghin nos - ciao!"
Mr. Green

My Dork Vader banana.....

liviomoreno · Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 2:34 pm Post subject: Re: Lullabies from Calabria

Carole wrote:

... gli Milanesi dicono

...

My Dork Vader banana.....

Carole, I forgive you only beacause you posted a great dancing banana!

Next time write: i milanesi dicono

uantiti · Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:30 pm Post subject: Re: Lullabies from Calabria

Carole wrote:

Tu sei proprio in gamba. Vieni fuori da dietro il divano.... Giusto????

Se ti ghe minga capi - ti fu capi mi!!!!

Quando uno ha una personalità cosi scintillante (per non dire scema Rolling Eyes

) come la mia - gli Milanesi dicono:

"Se ghin, ghin. Se ghin nos - ciao!"
Mr. Green

My Dork Vader banana.....

Yes, that was correct! Brava! BTW I added a little word to your Milanese sentence as there was something missing Mr. Green

.
My father was from Brescia so I understand Lombard dialects.
For the rest I agree with Livio kiss

Ciau
Ada

nuccia · Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:05 pm Post subject: Re: Lullabies from Calabria

Donna..read it and thanks. I have been spending most of the day with mom and we are now going to make gnocchi so I will get around to answering all the posts later..

As for the dialects..I am now totally confused! Look what you started Donna! lol