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Le Père Noël et la petite fille, incl.Leggenda di Natale; La canzone di Marinella; Bocca di Rosa

Georges Brassens
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Bocca di Rosa - La versione inglese di Riccardo Venturi
VUCCUZZA DI CIURIROSEMOUTH
  
Era chiamata Vuccuzza di Ciuri     They call'd her Rosemouth,
faceva l’amuri, faceva l’amuri     She did put love, she did put love
e lu faceva di tutti i maneri     They call'd her Rosemouth,
di ‘ncapu, di sutta, davanti e darreri.     She did put love above all things.
  
Quannu scinniu a la stazioni     No sooner had she arrived
Di un paesiddu cca vicinu     To the station of Sant'Ilario
Si n’addunarunu vecchi e carusi     When ev'rybody realized at first sight
Ca ugn’era un monicu ne un parrinu     She was no missionary at all.
  
C’e cu lu fa picchì cci siddia     Someone makes love out of boredom,
C’e cu ‘nveci si cci ni preja     Someone chooses it for one's job;
Vuccuzza di Ciuri ne l’unu ne l’autru     Neither of the two things for Rosemouth:
Ppi didda l’amuri è na puisia.     She made love out of passion.
  
Ma la passioni unni ti fa ghiri     But, as you know, passion often leads
A fari li cosi ca fannu piaciri     To gratifying one's own lust
Senza capiri su ‘u disgraziatu     Without enquiring if he, who's lusted after
E zitu, schettu o maritatu.     Is still free or a married man.
  
Ed accussì ca di oggi a dumani     So, hearken! With her deed and actions
Vuccuzza di Ciuri unn’avi cchiu spassu,     Did Rosemouth arouse day by day
mentri ca tutti ddi cani arraggiati     Grapes of wrath of the little puppies
ci iettanu ‘u sali a chiuirci ‘u passu.     She kept on stealing their bones from.
  
Ma li cummari d’un paiseddu     But the wives of a small village
Talianu ‘ntunnu e unn’hanu cchi fari     Aren't so cute, as you may suppose:
E mentri ca perdunu a corda e lu sceccu     Up to that time their only reaction
Su rusicanu sulu l’ossa cc’o sali.     Was hurling insults at Rosemouth.
  
Si sapi ca ‘a genti duna cunsigliu     You know that people give good advice
Sintennusi cumu Dominneddiu     Feeling as Jesus Christ in the Temple,
Grapunu a’a vucca ma all ’occurrenza,     You know that people give good advice
un sanu diri mancu piu.     If they can't set a bad example.
  
Accussi ‘na vecchia schittusa e acita,     So, and old woman still unmarried,
senza né figli e senza cchiù vogli,     Without children, without any lust,
si pigliò ‘u culu a puzzuluna     Took the trouble, and, I'm sure, the pleasure
e ghiva dittannu la so dottrina.     To give all 'em a right piece of advice:
  
Si la pigghiava ccu li cornuti,     So, she addressed with witty words
dicennuci a tutti mali paroli:     All that bunch of deceived wives:
cu rubba l’amuri avrà punizioni     "This love stealth shall be punished",
di carrabbunera e guardi riali.     She said, "By the Police Force".
  
Currerru tutti a parlari ch’è guardi     And they all went to the Police Station
Ci dissiru senza menzi paroli     And shouted without weighing their words:
dda tappinara avi troppi clienti     "That bitch already got more clients
Chiossà di chidda ca vinni pani     Than a farmer's cooperative."
  
E arrivarru quattru gendarmi     So four gendarmes, four gendarmes came
Ccu li cappedda e ccu li pennacchi     With plumed hats, with plumed hats,
Arrivarunu ‘ncapu e cavaddi     So four gendarmes, four gendarmes came
ccu li pistoli e li scupetti     Well armed, with their plumed hats.
  
Ma puru i sbirri e i carrabbunera     You know policemen aren't renowned
un fanu mai u propriu duviri,     For having tender heart, for sure;
ma quannu si misiru l’alta uniformi     But that time they took her to the train
l’accumpagnarunu alla stazioni.     Not so willingly, I assure.
  
Alla stazioni c’eranu tutti     All male villagers were there, including
dai guardi riali o sagristanu     The Police Chief and the sexton,
Alla stazioni c’eranu tutti     All male villagers were there
Ccu l’occhi vagnati e ‘u cori in manu     With weeping eyes, bearing placards.
  
A salutari cu ppi tanticchia     To say goodbye and bon voyage
Senza pritenniri e senza aviri     To Rosemouth, who for short time
A salutari cu ppi du jorna     Without pretension, without pretension
Purtò l’amuri ne ddu quarteri     Had brought love into that village.
  
C’era un cartellu ranni     Someone had written in black
e l’occhi chini ‘i pena     On a yellow placard:
dicivunu addiu Vuccuzza di Ciuri     "Goodbye, goodbye, Rosemouth!
ccu ti si ni và la primavera.     Spring is leaving us with you."
  
Ma na notizia di sta purtata     But a piece of news like that
Un’avi bisugnu di carta stampata     Needs no newspaper, as you may suppose:
Cumu lu metri e lu pisari     Just like an arrow flung by a good bowman
Fici lu giru di lu quartieri.     It spread so rapidly in the wind
  
Alla stazioni ca veni d’appressu     So, at the next station there were
C’è chiossà genti di chidda ca lassu     Much more people than when she had left:
C’e cu s’asciuca l’occhi di chiantu     One blows her a kiss, one throws flowers,
Cu si prenota p’un mumentu.     One books her for a couple of hours.
  
E puru u parrinu ca murmuriava     Even the Priest, not disregarding
Si dici mutu ‘na santa orazioni     Among burials and extreme unctions
E sta Madonna china ‘i biddizzi     The short-lived pleasure of beauty,
a voli accanto pp’a procissioni.     Wants her to follow the procession.
  
E cu la Vergini in prima fila     With Our Lady in the front row
Vuccuzza di Ciuri manu ccu manu     And Rosemouth just behind
Si porta appressu ppi lu paisi     The priest is walking through the village
L’amuri sacru e chiddu buttanu!     With both profane and sacred love!


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