Thursday, October 2, 2014

Creuza de mä:
    Â duménega - Sundays

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 "Â 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.


Art of Giordano Prudenti based on De Andrè songs
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