La canzon bugiarda
Italian Folk Ensemble
The topsy-turvy song (Piedmont)
La canzon bugiarda (Piemonte)
From the concert “Il calendario dell’altra Italia” (The calendar of the other Italy) by the Italian Folk Ensemble – Adelaide, 2015. Performance of traditional and popular songs of the Italian people.
The Italian Folk Ensemble (Adelaide) has been for the last 40 years, studying and performing traditional and popular songs of the Italian people, fully respecting their individual musical style and their cultural context. These songs cover a wide spectrum of emotions and experiences of the people of Italy through the ages, and as such, they are a unique medium to learn Italian culture and history.
A song belonging to the carnival tradition depicting an ‘upside down world’; ie – not reflecting the current status; an untrue song. This type of song originates in the popular culture of the north western Italy and has deep roots in the era of pre-Christian magic. It is also a pointer to the Celtic substratum that pre-existed the Roman conquest.
Canto carnevalesco ‘del mondo alla rovescia’; cioè, una canzone bugiarda. Questo tipo di canto ha origine nella cultura popolare dell’occidente italiano, con radici profonde nella magia pre- cristiana. È anche un elemento che punta ad un substrato celtico che ha preceduto la conquista romana.
TESTO
mi vöi cantévi ‘na cansun
ma una cansun büśiarda
larì tai tuc tai tuc tai tuc, gnau gnau gnau gnau
ma una cansun büśiarda
Pasà sut a un pumèr
pasà sut a un pumèr
se iéra carià ‘d siùli
larì tai tuc tai tuc tai tuc, gnau gnau gnau gnau
se iéra carià ‘d siùli
Padrun sut al cartun
padrun sut al cartun
e i müi ca füatàu …
e i müi ca füatàu
Un gat l’à fat tri öv
un gat l’à fat tri öv
s’la punta d’na nuśéa …
s’la punta d’na nuśéa
E dentro a custi öv
e dentro a custi öv
se iéra tre quatr prèivi …
se iéra tre quatr prèivi
E i prèivi in tel pursil
e i prèivi in tel pursil
e i crin cantavu messa …
e i crin cantavu messa
E i ciòchi iéra ad bür
e i ciòchi iéra ad bür
e le corde ‘d sausissëtta …
e le corde ‘d sausissëtta
L’ho cantata la canzon
l’ho cantata la canzon
la canzone più bugiarda …
TRANSLATION
I’ve been learning this new song
a song that’s quite fallacious
meow, bow-wow, cockadoodle do, hee-haw hee-haw
a song that’s quite fallacious
I was walking past a pear tree
I was walking past a pear tree
It was chockablock full of onions
meow, bow-wow,
cockadoodle do, hee-haw hee-haw
It was chockablock full of onions
The boss was pulling the cart
whipped along by his own donkeys
A cat laid three eggs
on top of a sturdy walnut tree …
And from those eggs
out popped three or four crusty vicars …
And the vicars sat in the pig-sty
while the pig delivered the sermon …
The bells were made of butter
with the ropes made of sausages …
And that’s the song I’ve learnt
a song that’s quite fallacious
[about the world all topsy-turvy]
