Quandu ä dumenega fan u gíu cappellin neuvu neuvu u vestiu cu 'a madama a madama 'n testa o belin che festa o belin che festa Quando alla domenica fanno il giro cappellino nuovo nuovo il vestito con la madama la madama in testa cazzo che festa cazzo che festa a tûtti apreuvu ä pruccessiún d'a Teresin-a du Teresún tûtti a miâ ë figge du diàu che belin de lou che belin de lou e tutti dietro alla processione della Teresina del Teresone tutti a guardare le figlie del diavolo che cazzo di lavoro che cazzo di lavoro e a stu luciâ de cheusce e de tettín ghe fan u sciätu anche i ciû piccin mama mama damme ë palanche veuggiu anâ a casín veuggiu anâ a casín e a questo dondolare di cosce e di tette gli fanno il chiasso anche i più piccoli mamma mamma dammi i soldi voglio andare a casino voglio andare a casino e ciû s'addentran inta cittæ ciû euggi e vuxi ghe dan deré ghe dixan quellu che nu peúan dî de zeùggia sabbu e de lûnedì e più si addentrano nella città più occhi e voci gli danno dietro gli dicono quello che non possono dire di giovedì di sabato e di lunedì a Ciamberlinú sûssa belin ä Fuxe cheusce de sciaccanuxe in Caignàn musse de tersa man e in Puntexellu ghe mustran l'öxellu a Pianderlino succhia cazzi alla Foce cosce da schiaccianoci in Carignano fighe di terza mano e a Ponticello gli mostrano l'uccello a Pianderlino succhia cazzi alla Foce cosce da schiaccianoci in Carignano fighe di terza mano e a Ponticello gli mostrano l'uccello e u direttú du portu c'u ghe vedde l'ou 'nte quelle scciappe a reposu da a lou pe nu fâ vedde ch'u l'è cuntentu ch'u meu-neuvu u gh'à u finansiamentu e il direttore del porto che ci vede l'oro in quelle chiappe a riposo dal lavoro per non fare vedere che è contento che il molo nuovo ha il finanziamento u se cunfunde 'nta confûsiún cun l'euggiu pin de indignasiún e u ghe cría u ghe cría deré bagasce sëi e ghe restè si confonde nella confusione con l'occhio pieno di indignazione e gli grida gli grida dietro bagasce siete e ci restate e ti che ti ghe sbraggi apreuvu mancu ciû u nasu gh'avei de neuvu bruttu galûsciu de 'n purtò de Cristu nu t'è l'únicu ch'u se n'è avvistu e tu che gli sbraiti appresso neanche più il naso avete di nuovo brutto stronzo di un portatore di Cristo non sei l'unico che se ne è accorto che in mezzu a quelle creatúe che se guagnan u pan da nûe a gh'è a gh'è a gh'è a gh'è a gh'è anche teu muggè che in mezzo a quelle creature che si guadagnano il pane da nude c'è c'è c'è c'è c'è anche tua moglie a Ciamberlin sûssa belin ä Fuxe cheusce de sciaccanuxe in Caignàn musse de tersa man e in Puntexellu ghe mustran l'öxellu a Pianderlino succhia cazzi alla Foce cosce da schiaccianoci in Carignano fighe di terza mano e a Ponticello gli mostrano l'uccello a Pianderlino succhia cazzi alla Foce cosce da schiaccianoci in Carignano fighe di terza mano e a Ponticello gli mostrano l'uccello  duménega © 1984 Fabrizio De André/Mauro Pagani The canvas of " duménega" is the historical period in Genoa from the 16th to the late 19th century when every Sunday the prostitutes would walk openly through the town. Being a port town, there was never a shortage of demand for their services, and tariffs collected from prostitutes were a significant part of the funding for the upkeep and expansion of port facilities. |
When on Sunday they go out for a stroll, new bonnet, new dress, with the madam, the madam in the lead, fuck what a holiday, fuck what a holiday! And everyone behind the procession of little Teresa and big Teresito, everyone watching the devil’s daughters - what a fuck of a job, what a fuck of a job. And this swaying of thighs and boobs causes a tumult in even the littlest ones. "Mama, mama, give me some money, I want to go to the brothel, I want to go to the brothel!" And even more go into the city, more eyes and voices follow behind. They say what they can’t say on Thursdays, Saturdays and Mondays. In Pianderlino she sucks cocks, in Foce, thighs like a nutcracker, in Carignano, third hand pussies, and in Ponticello they show him the bird. In Pianderlino she sucks cocks, in Foce, thighs like a nutcracker, in Carignano, third hand pussies, and in Ponticello they show him the bird. And the Port Director who sees the gold there in those cheeks at repose from work, to not show that he’s happy that the new pier has financing, he merges into the confusion with his eyes full of indignation and shouts to them, shouts to them from behind, "You’re all whores and so will remain!" And you who howls at them, following, "You all don't even have a nose!" again, ugly bastard of a bearer of Christ, you aren’t the only one that noticed it, that in the middle of those creatures who earn their bread in the nude there is, there is, there is, there is, there is also your wife. In Pianderlino she sucks cocks. In Foce, thighs like a nutcracker. In Carignano, third hand pussies, and in Ponticello they show him the bird. In Pianderlino she sucks cocks. In Foce, thighs like a nutcracker. In Carignano, third hand pussies, and in Ponticello they show him the bird. English translation © 2014 Dennis Criteser Creuza de mä received both critical and popular acclaim upon its release. David Byrne told Rolling Stone that Creuza de mä was one of the ten most important works of the Eighties. The album grew out of a deep collaboration between Mauro Pagani, founding member of PFM, and De André. Pagani had been studying Mediterranean musics - Balkan, Greek, Turkish - and De André suggested that they make a Mediterranean album together, partly as an act of identity and a declaration of independence from the strains of Anglo-American music that were then dominant: rock, pop and electronic music. De André once stated that "music should be a cathartic event, but today's music is only amphetamine-like, and enervating." While granting that Americans made great music that he too was influenced by, he felt there were different ways and different roots that were being smothered by the mass commercialization and success of American popular music; Creuza de mä was to be a synthesis of Mediterranean sounds, and it was indeed a stark contrast to the music of the time. De André's lyrics are in Genovese, a dialect that over the centuries absorbed many Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Spanish, French and even English words, and Pagani's music combined folk instruments (oud, shehnai, doumbek, bazouki, bağlama) with contemporary instrumentation, including Synclavier, creating what might be called an ethnic/pop masterpiece. |
Fabrizio De André, the revered Italian singer/songwriter, created a deep and enduring body of work over the course of his career from the 1960s through the 1990s. With these translations I have tried to render his words into an English that reads naturally without straying too far from the Italian. The translations decipher De André's lyrics without trying to preserve rhyme schemes or to make the resulting English lyric work with the melody of the song.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Creuza de mä:
 duménega - Sundays
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