Italianol coracino, che andava per mare,
venne voglia di sposarsi.
si fece un bel vestito
di scaglie di spine pulito pulito
con una parrucca tutta piena
di rimasugli avvolti,
con il colletto, fazzoletto da collo e polsini
di seta inglese molto fine.


Con i calzoni di reti di fondo,
scarpe e calze di pelle di tonno
e mantella e mantellina
di alghe e peli di bue marino,
con bottoni e bottoniera
di occhi di polipo, seppie e coregoni bianchi *
fibbie, spada e fiocchi dorati
di nero di seppia e fette di occhiata


Due belle catene
di polmone di conchiglie,
un capello elegante
di codini di luccio salato.
tutto inamidato** e ben stirato
faceva il fighetto,
girava di quà e di là
per trovarsi la fidanzata


La Sardina, al balcone
stava suonando il colascione***
e a suono di trombetta,
cantava questa arietta:
"O larello o marellena
e la figlia della zia Lena
ha lasciato il fidanzato
perché niente glia ha regalato!"


Il Guarracino che la guardò
della Sardina si innamorò,
se ne andò dalla Bavosa.
la più vecchia maliziosa.
le diede una bella mancia
per mandarle un messaggio.
La bavosa, pissi pissi
chiaro e tondo glielo disse.


Nel sentirla la Sardella
rossa rossa si fecce,
per la vergogna che la prese
sotto uno scoglio si infilò,
ma la vecchia Bavosa
subito disse: "Ah, schizzinosa!
In questa maniera non trovi partito
in gola ti resta il marito".


Se hai voglia di accasarti
tante smorfie non le devi fare,
fuori la galanteria e via la timidezza,
anima e cuore e faccia tosta".
Ciò sentendo la zia Sardina
s'affacciò alla finestrella
e fece un occhiolino d'intesa
allo speranzoso innamoratino.


Ma la Patella che stava appostata
la chiamò faccia tosta,
traditrice, svergognata,
senza parola e malnata
perché aveva piantato l'Alletterato,
primo e antico fidanzato
di carriera da questo andò
e ogni cosa gli disse.


Quando la sentì il poveretto
se lo prese un demonio
andò a casa, s'armò di rasoio,
si caricò come un mulo
di fucili, di spingarde,
polvere, palle, stoppa e schegge;
quattro pistole e tre baionette
in tasca si mise.


Sulle spalle settanta colubrine,
ottanta bombe e novanta cannoni
e come un guappo paladino
andava cercando il coracino.
La sfortuna vuole
che in mezzo la piazza lo incontrò
l'afferra per il cravattino
e poi gli dice: "Ah malandrino!


Tu mi rubi la fidanzata
e prenditela questa bastonata".
Tuffete e taffete, a milioni,
gli dava schiaffi e colpi alla gola,
schiaffi, pugni e scappellotti,
scappoloni, fecozze**** e percosse alla nuca,
scapaccioni e pugni al volto
e gli ammaccò ossa e cartilagini.


Succede che al rumore
parenti e amici uscirono fuori,
chi con mazze, coltelli e coltellini,
chi con spade,spadoni e spadini
quello con sbarre, questo con spiedi
chi con mandorle e chi con nocciole,
chi con tenaglie e chi con martelli
chi con torroni e susamielli *****


Padri, figli, mariti e mogli
si azzuffarono come fiere
e milioni accorrevano a frotte,
i pesci di questa e di quella fazione
Quante ne vedesti di sarde e di alose
di palamiti e sogliole e razze chiodate,
saraghi, dentici e occhiate,
sgombri, tonni e alletterati.


Pesci palombo e rane pescatrici,
scorfani, cernie e alici,
pastinace, seriole, musdee e ghiozzi rasposi,
lecce stelle, lucci e storioni,
merluzzi, gronghi e murene,
capodogli, orche e balene,
capitoni, aguglie e aringhe,
cefali, caponi lira, tracine e cernie dorate.


Triglie, torpedini occhiute, trote e tonni,
musdee, cepole, latterini e zerri,
polipi, seppie e calamari,
pesci spada e stelle di mare
pesci palombo e pesci martello
bocche d'oro e gianchetti,
seppioline e coracini
cannolicchi, ostriche e ricci di mare.


Vongole, cuori eduli e patelie
pescecani e granchietti
tordi marvizzi, marmore e bavose,
boghe, vedove e spose,
spigole, spondili, serpenti e salpe,
scalze con gli zoccoli o con le scarpe,
murici, gamberi e aragoste
vennero perfino con le diligenze.


Capitoni, sauri e anguille,
pesci grossi o piccoli,
d'ogni ceto e nazione.
Piccolini, piccoli, più grandi e grandissimi!
Quante botte, mamma mia!
Che si davano. Non sia mai!
A centinaia le bastonate!
A milioni le pietrate!.


Morsi e pizzicotti a bilioni!
A pioggia i colpi alla gola!
Non vi dico che fuoco vivo
si faceva per ogni luogo.
Te, te, ttè, qua pistolettate,
ta, ta, ttà, là schioppettate
tu, tu, ttù, qua le colubrine,
bu, bu, bbù, là i cannoni.


Ma di cantare sono già stanco
e ora mi manca il fiato,
perciò, datemi licenza
grazioso e bel pubblico.
Fate che beva una mezza di "seje"******,
alla salute di lui e di lei,
altrimenti mi si secca il gargarozzo,
svuotandosi il polmone.


English

The chromis that swam in the sea
he decided to marry.
He made a nice suit
From the sharp scale, very neat.
He' put on a curly wig
Strewed with small cockle-shell,
A collar, a shawl on a neck and cuffs
made of english silk, very thin.


Trousers from a net,
Boots and socks from a skin of tunny,
A cloak and a cape
From algae and bristle of a dugong,
With buttons and press-buttons
From eyes of octopus, cuttlefish and vendace,
Buckles, a sword and gilded bands
From ink of cuttle and a bile of saddle bream.


Two beautiful chains
From cockle-shells,
An elegant hat
From tails of ling.
Everything is starched and ironed,
He seemed like a dandy.
He swam here and there
To find a bride.


A sardine stood on her balcony,
Playing the lute;
And hearing a sound of trumpet,
She sang a song:
"Oh, sea, sea,
A daughter of my aunt Lena
Left his fiance
Because he gave nothing to her!"


The chromis saw her
And felt in love with sardine.
went away to a blenny
Grumbling old fish.
He gave her money
To send a message to sardine.
The blenny, in a whisper,
Told it to her clearly.


Hearing this message,
The sardine was blushed.
From the shyness
She hided under a rock.
But old blenny
told her: "Ah, fastidious!
In this way you'll not find a fiance
And remain without husband.


If you want to marry,
You don't have to make difficulties!
Forward the courtesy
1
and away the shyness!
Be with the kind heart and soul!"
Listening to an aunt, the sardine
looked out from window
And winked in consent
At the lover, full with hopes.


But the patella that stood beside,
called her "Impudent,
Traitress, shameless,
Not keeping word and rude",
Because she had left the tunny,
Her first fiance.
She went away from him so fast
And told him many things.


When poor tunny heard it,
He was possessed by demon.
He went to home, armed himself with knife,
He loaded himself like a mule
With guns, springalds,
Powders, bullets, tows and gun tubes.
Four pistols and three bayonets,
He put them in his pocket.


On his shoulders there were seventy muskets,
Eighty bombs and ninety cannons
And like a cruel knight
He came search the chromis.
The misfortune wanted so,
And in the middle of square the tunny found him,
Has seized him by the collar
And told him: "Ah, villain!


You've stolen my bride,
Take this blow!"
Million punches,
He slapped him in the face.
Slaps in face, clips on the back of head,
Stabs, bumps, punches on head,
Kicks, punches on face,
He broke to pieces his bones and cartilages.


The noise was risen,
Relatives and friends came out.
Who with maces, knives and clasp-knives,
Who with swords, rapiers and sabres.
That came with girders, this came with spears,
Who with almonds and who with nuts,
Who with nippers and who with hammers,
Who with turrons and susamielli
2.


Fathers, children, husbands and wives
Fighted like the beasts.
Millions gathered in throng,
Fishes of two sides.
How many sardines one could see,
How many shads, plaices and various rays,
Crucians, dentexes and saddle breams,
Mackerels, tunnies and tunas.


Houndsharks and sea-devils,
Scorpionfish, dusky groupers and anchovies,
Stingrays, amberjacks, cods and gobies,
Pompanos, barracudas and sturgeons,
Hakes, congers and morays,
Cachalots, killer whales and whales,
Eels, garfishes and herrings,
Mullets, gurnards, weeverfishes and tenches.


Surmullets, electric rays, trouts and tunnies,
Pomfrets, bandfishes, sand-smelts, picarels,
Octopuses, cuttlefishes and squids,
Swordfishes and starfishes,
Houndsharks and hammerhead sharks,
Shade-fishes and sand eels,
Octopuses and chromises,
Sword razors, oysters and sea urchins.


Carpet shells, cockles and sea snails,
Sharks and crabs,
Wrasses, sea breams and blennies,
Bogues, widows and married,
Seabasses, sea daces, snakes, salema porgies,
Barefooted, with heels or with boots,
Sea snails, shrimps and spine lobsters,
Everybody came with the diligence.


Eels, horse-mackerels and grigs,
Small and big fishes
Of every estate and nation,
Small, big and biggest.
How many punches, mama mia,
They have made. Horror!
Thousands punches with stick,
Millions punches with stone!


Billions bites and tweaks,
A hail of punches to neck.
I cannot tell you what live fire
burned everywhere.
Te - te - ttè, here a wound from pistols,
Ta - ta - ttà, there from guns,
Tu - tu - ttù, here from muskets,
Bu - bu - bbù, there from cannons.
But I'm tired already sing about it
And now I'm short of breathing.
Therefore give me a respite,
Dear and nice public!
Let's drink a half glass
Health of him and her,
Otherwise my throat will be dry parched,
The lungs will be empty.

La vie n'est pas facile, pour une gamine de seize ansqui n'a plus de famille, et encor' moins d'argent,Elle coup' et coud toute la semaine à l'atelier des mouchoirs,mais le dimanche elle est reine de la danse au bal du soir.

Tourne vire, virevolte, la belle d'un pied léger,tourne vire, virevolte, c'est venu le temps d'aimer.

Elle a jolie frimousse, et le coeur innocent,des rêves qui la poussent vers un prince charmant,et c'est en mai qu'il lui arrive, l'invite pour un pas de deux
D'une valse il l'enivre et les voilà amoureux.

Ils se sont mariés, ont brûlé la belle saisonla guerre est déclarée, il doit par-tir au front!A la gare ils se quittent en agitant leur mou-choir,"Je reviendrai bien vit' et je t'écrirai chaque soir"

Sur le chemin des Dames, le voilà soudain foudroyé,elle n'a pas assez de larmes pour son malheur noyer,mais pour la vie jolie grisette tu ne peux t'enfermer,
dimanche à la guinguette tu retourneras danser.


English translation :
Twirl

Life is not easy for a girl of sixteenWho’s got no family and no moneyShe cuts and sews all week long in the handkerchief factoryBut on Sundays she is the queen of the ball
Spin, turn, twirl, the light-footed beautySpin, turn, twirl, the time has come to love
She has a cute little face, and a pure heartDreaming of her prince charmingAnd in May he arrives, invites her to a pas de deuxWith a waltz he steals her heart, and they are lovers
They got married, lived life to the full,
war is declared, he must leave for the frontat the station they say their goodbyes waving the handkerchiefs“I’ll be back soon, and I’ll write every night
On the Chemin des Dames, he is suddenly struckShe has not enough tears to drown her sadness,But don’t lock yourself away pretty girlNext Sunday you will be back dancing at the guinguette.

Je n’ai que ton amourPour baigner de douceurLa fuite de nos joursOublier nos malheurs.Cette route insensée
Epuise notre sangPourquoi vivre accabléLorsque l’on s’aime tant
Je n’ai que ton amourPour enflammer ma vieDans ta force infinieJe me love sans détourTu réchauffe mon cœurApaise mon chagrinPourquoi tout ce bonheur
Aurait-il une fin
Je n’ai que ton amourDans mon sang dans ma chairEt ma gorge se serreAttendant ton retourDes automnes durant.Le bois mort de nos viesCouvrira nos printemps
Et nos amours finis


English translation :

I’ve only got your love
I’ve only got your loveTo sweetly batheThe passing of our daysTo forget our unhappinessThis road without senseDrains us of blood,Why live despondentWhen we

love each other so much
I’ve only got your loveto light up my lifeI unhesitatingly bury myself
In your infinite strengthYou recandle my heaertSweeten my sadnessWhy must all this happinessCome to an end
I’ve only got your loveIn my flesh and bloodAnd the tears well upAwaiting your returnFor so many autumnsThe dead wood of our livesWill cover our springtimesAnd our lost love