11602 Neapolitan songs - help with translation!

OK, JC, your expert advice is needed. Calling JC..... Where are you?

Bloomin' eck Gala - gimme half a chance! :bigergrin:

I'm busy trying to translate it - but I need help with some of it - and Mamma is being obnoxious today, so I'll slowly struggle on alone.

Alena - (nice name by the way) - welcome to the forum - I'll be right back. :smile:

[quote=Gala Placidia;109966] Calling JC..... Where are you?[/quote]

She's Behind You...............!

First of all, here are the lyrics and a link to Franco Corelli's version of "Pecchè?" (I assume you do know he isn't Neapolitan?) on Youtube so you can follow it. I'll continue trying to translate and post again shortly.

Oh, the pressure! The pressure! :bigergrin: :bigergrin:

[B]"Pecchè?"[/B]

Canta ll'auciello dint''a casa antica
addó' primma cantave pure tu
E sento pure 'a voce 'e n'ata amica
ca mme cunziglia 'e nun te penzá cchiù!

Carmè'
Si aggio lassato a mamma mia pe' te,
si t'hê pigliato 'a primma giuventù
pecché, nun tuorne a me?

Mme pare ca è cagnata 'sta fenesta
'a dó' vuttaste 'o primmo sciore a me.
E n'ata rosa, 'a dint'a n'ata testa,
mo mme cunziglia 'e nun penzá cchiù a te

Carmè'
E passa 'a notte, passa 'o juorno, 'a sera
ma stu turmiento mio nun vò' passá
Passa pure 'sta luna che è sincera
si mme cunziglia sempe 'e te scurdá

Carmè'

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QoILXi_vww]YouTube - Franco Corelli "Pecchè ?" July 1961[/ame]

I think this is about 95% correct. Phew! :bigergrin:

A bird sings in the old house
where you once used to sing
And I hear the voice of another friend
who advises me to not think about you anymore

Carme'
Since I left my mother for you
you took away the prime of my youth
Why, wont you come back to me?

It seems to me this window has changed
from where you threw the first flower to me
It's another rose in another vase (?)
that advises me to not think anymore about you

Carme'
And the night passes, the day and evening also pass
but my torment does not want to pass
The moon also passes which is sincere
as it advises me always to forget about you

Carme'

Anyway Alena, the Neapolian dialect is not so easy and I only know of one online link where you can get a couple of basic lessons - but it is very outdated and wont be of much help with the pronounciation. I'll try to find the link for you if I can.

A question - why do you want to learn Neapolitan rather than Italian?

Perhaps it is just a personal interest on the language that Alena has. It is really a beautiful and melodious language. My only problem is that I have enough trouble with just plain Italian .... otherwise, I would have a go.

Go on Gala - you can do it - I'm sure, so give it a shot! You can translate the other song for Alena - here are the lyrics.

It'll be interesting to compare our versions and see the differences between two people translating the same thing. :yes:

I'll give it a go after dinner. :smile:

[B]Torna a Surriento[/B]

Vide ‘o mare quant’è bello,
Spira tantu sentimento,
Comme tu a chi tiene mente,
Ca scetato ‘o faie sunnà.

Guarda, gua’, chistu ciardino;
Siente, sie’ sti sciure arance:
Nu profumo accussi fino
Dinto ‘o core se ne va…

E tu dice: "I’ parto, addio!"
T’alluntane da stu core…
Da sta terra de l’ammore…
Tiene ‘o core ‘e nun turnà?

Ma nun me lassà,
Nun darme stu turmiento!
Torna a Surriento,
famme campà!

Vide 'o mare de Surriento,
che tesoro tene nfunno:
chi ha girato tutto 'o munno
nun l'ha visto comm'a ccà.

Guarda attuorno sti Sserene,
ca te guardano 'ncantate,
e te vonno tantu bene...
Te vulessero vasà.

E tu dice: "I' parto, addio!"
T'alluntane da stu core
Da sta terra de l'ammore
Tiene 'o core 'e nun turnà?

Ma nun me lassà,
Nun darme stu turmiento!
Torna a Surriento,
Famme campà!

Torna a Surriento,
Famme campà!

Are you kidding? To translate poetry is one of the most difficult tasks you can think of.
Well, without using a dictionary or any language aid, this is as far as I can go:

Look at the sea , how beautiful it is
It inspires so many feelings,
(No idea)
(No idea)

Look at there, at this garden,
Feel the scent of oranges
Such a fine perfume
That goes straight to the heart (or quite close)

And you say "goodbye, I'm leaving,
You move away from this heart
From this land of love
That you will keep in your heart and never return to.

But don't leave
Do not torture me
Come back to Sorrento
(I have no idea.... it would be something like "make me happy or bring me back to life" as" campare "means to live... but just guessing)

Look at the Sorrento sea
what a treasure it is
That whoever is gone around the world
Has never seen anything like this.

Look around this calm (serene) (sky)
That casts a spell on you (that enchants you)
Who loves you so much
(no idea)

The other verses are a repetition and I have already made a fool of myself....
My apologies to all Neapolitans.

Wow!! You're so quick! thanks a lot!! in fact, well, yeah I'd like to learn the language a bit, but anyway I'm contented already that I'm able to understand some particular songs. As for Torna I ment "Torna!" not "Torna a Surriente"

Here are the lyrics as I found them, I don't know whether they are spelled correctly:

Te voglio n'ata vota int''a sti' braccia
chella ca si' nun torna c'aggia fa'
voglio chist'uocchie
voglio chesta faccia
addo' se vede ogni felicita'
vita d''a vita mia
dimme pe' quale via
t'aggia veni' a 'ncuntra'
torna
sta' casa aspetta a te
torna che smanie 'e te vede'
torna
torna
torna
ca si' ce tuorne tu
nun ce lassamme cchiu'
cu' ciente desiderie 'e malafreva
stu' specchio t'ha fernuta e ruvina'
quanno partiste st'anema chiagneva
pensanno addo' putive capita'
dimme chi te trattene
dimme qua' so' 'e catene
c'aggia veni' a spezza'
strumentale
torna
torna
torna
ca si' ce tuorne tu
nun ce lassamme cchiu'
torna
torna
torna
ca si' ce tuorne tu
nun ce lassamme cchiu'

Here's the youtube link^
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AVbnBA_rB8[/ame]

"To translate poetry is one of the most difficult tasks you can think of"
That's right... the word-to-word translation always looks strange and poor comparing to the original, yet if it's the only way to understand anything... as for me, I like to translate songs from one language to another (I speak two foreign languages: French and English) and I try to do it in verses.. Yet I'm not sure if they are good and if they don't contain thousands of mistakes ;) At least, when I translate to my mother tongue (which is Russian) - they say I do it rather well =^_^=

Hi Alena. It might be a good idea to introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about yourself and any connections with Italy here - [url=http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/17/introduce-yourself-piacere-conoscerti]Introduce Yourself - Piacere Conoscerti - Italy Magazine Forums[/url] A presto, Regards, Sally

Sorry it helps if I get your name right.

A bird sings in the old house
where you once used to sing
And I hear the voice of another friend
who advises me to not think about you anymore

Carme'
Since I left my mother for you
you took away the prime of my youth
Why, wont you come back to me?

It seems to me this window has changed
from where you threw the first flower to me
It's another rose in another vase (?)
that advises me to not think anymore about you

Carme'
And the night passes, the day and evening also pass
but my torment does not want to pass
The moon also passes which is sincere
as it advises me always to forget about you

Or
The windows are still not in.
In the karaoke bar we went in
Hold on, my mobiles ringing
He told me to forget you.

After mum throw me out
You sucked the life out of me
I know why you wont come back

Looks like the builder will put the windows back in
After you broke them with that bloody vase
I know why you wont come back to me

I getting drunker as the night goes on
And this bloke behind me keeps trying to wind me up
Now Im seeing stars…no really
I know why you wont come back to me

Oh well - whatever! All I can say is "Brava Gala". Somat aint right here - so I'm leaving this thread alone. :bigergrin:

Oh, JC, don't leave, please : ) I still wonder about the Torna! song :)

Debora, Ricky and Mary - lol :))) mobile ring and karaoke bar;))) XDDDD