Johnny Faa, or The Gypsy Laddie
Anonymous
| Original | Versione italiana di Riccardo Venturi |
| JOHNNY FAA, OR THE GYPSY LADDIE The gypsies they came to my Lord Cassilis’ yett And O but they sang bonnie! They sang sae sweet and sae complete That down came our fair ladie. She came tripping down the stairs And all her maids before her; As soon as they saw her weel-far’d face, They coost their glamourie owre her. She gave to them the good wheat bread And they gave her the ginger; But she gave them a far better thing, The gold ring off her finger. "Will ye go with me, my hinny and my heart? Will ye go with me, my dearie? And I will swear, by the staff of my spear, That your lord shall nae mair come near thee." "Gar take from me my silk manteel, And bring to me a plaidie, For I will travel the world owre Along with the gypsie laddie. "I could sail the seas with my Jockie Faa, I could sail the seas with my dearie; I could sail the seas with my Jockie Faa, And with pleasure could drown with my dearie." They wandred high, they wandred low, They wandred late and early, Until they came to an old tenant’s barn And by this time she was weary. "Last night I lay in a weel-made bed, And my noble lord beside me, And now I must ly in an old tenant’s barn And the black crew glowring owre me." "O hold your tongue, my hinny and my heart, O hold your tongue, my dearie, For I will swear, by the moon and the stars, That thy lord shall nae mair come near thee." They wandred high, they wandred low, They wandred late and early, Until they came to that wan water, And by this time she was wearie. "Aften have I rode that wan water, And my lord Cassilis beside me, And now I must set in my white feet and wade, And carry the gypsie laddie." By and by came home this noble lord, And asking for his ladie, The onie did cry, the other did reply, "She is gone with the gypsie laddie." "Go saddle to me the black", he says, "The brown rides never so speedie, And I will neither eat nor drink Till I bring home my ladie." He wandred high, he wandred low, He wandred late and early, Until he came to that wan water, And there he spied his ladie. "O wilt thou go home, my hinny and my heart, O wilt thou go home, my dearie? And I’ll close thee in a close room, Where no man shall come near thee." "I will not go home, my hinny and my heart, I will not go home, my dearie; If I have brewn good beer, I will drink of the same, And my lord shall nae mair come near me. "But I will swear, by the moon and the stars, And the sun that shines so clearly, That I am as free of the gypsie gang As the hour my mother did bear me." They were fifteen valiant men, Black, but very bonny, And they lost all their lives for one, The Earl of Cassilis’ ladie. | I RAGAZZI ZINGARI Vennero tre zingari alla porta di casa. E come cantavan bene, oh Cantavano in modo così armonioso Che incantaron la Contessa di Fyfe, oh E lei scese giù per le scale Preceduta da due ancelle, oh Gettarono uno sguardo al suo bel viso E le fecero un incantesimo, oh Le diedero una buona noce moscata E anche un pezzetto di zenzero, oh E uno di loro le si avvicinò E le rubò l'anello d'oro dal dito, oh E lei si tolse la sua gonna di seta E si mise il gonnellino di tartan, oh E poi chiamò a sé le ancelle Perché dicessero addio alla loro padrona, oh Ma quando il suo buon signore tornò a casa la sera Si mise a chiamare la sua signora: “Oh, il cane è scappato, i falconi son volati via, E gli zingari han portato via la vostra signora, oh” “Sellatemi il bel destriero nero Ché il baio non è stato mai così veloce, oh E io non mangerò né berrò niente Finché non riporterò indietro la mia signora, oh” Cavalcò a oriente e a occidente, E cavalcò fino allo Strathbow, oh Finché non vide la sua bella donna Che seguiva i ragazzi zingari, oh “Beh, l'ultima volta che sono passato per questa landa Avevo con me dei lords al mio servizio, Ma stanotte devo guadare il fiume a piedi nudi Con gli zingari che guadano assieme a me, oh” “Ci son sette fratelli tra di loro, E come cantan bene e armonioso, oh Ma proprio stanotte li impiccherò tutti Perché hanno rapito la Contessa di Fyfe, oh” Ha mandato a chiamare un boia da Fyfe E un altro ancora da Kirkcaldy, oh E li ha messi alla forca uno ad uno Perché han rapito la sua bella signora, oh “Ieri notte dormivo in un bel letto di piume Con le lenzuola ben rincalzate, oh Ma stanotte devo dormire in un campo freddo e spoglio Con gli zingari che mi giacciono attorno, oh.” |
