Black black black is the colour of my true love's hair his lips are something rosy fair the sweetest smile and the kindest hands I love the grass whereon he stands I love my love and well he knows I love the grass whereon he goes if he no more on earth will be 'twill surely be the end of me
Folk Songs
Song Cycle by Luciano Berio (1925 - 2003)
1. Black is the colour  [sung text checked 1 time]
Authorship:
- from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , Scottish, transcribed by John Jacob Niles
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- IRI Irish (Gaelic) (Gabriel Rosenstock) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
2. I wonder as I wander  [sung text checked 1 time]
I wonder as I wander out under the sky how Jesus [the]1 Saviour did come for to die for poor [ordn'ry]2 people like you and like I I wonder as I wander out under the sky when Mary birthed Jesus 'twas in a cow stall with wise men and [farmers and shepherds]3 and all [but high from the Heavens a star's light did fall [and a]4 promise of ages it then did recall]5 If Jesus had wanted [for]6 any wee thing A star in the sky or a bird on the wing; Or all of God's angels in Heav'n for to sing, He surely [could have it 'cause]7 he was the King!
Authorship:
- by John Jacob Niles (1892 - 1980), "I wonder as I wander", written 1933
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Je m'émerveille en marchant", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Je m'interroge en me promenant", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
This text is often described as an Appalachian carol transcribed by Niles, but he did more than transcribe it according to The Songs of John Jacob Niles: New Edition Containing Eight Additional Songs, with a Preface by John Jacob Niles, New York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 1993. From Niles's preface, dated 1975: "Suffice it to say that I wrote it in 1933, based on a fragment I overheard in the courthouse square in Murphy, N.C." (Thanks to Rufus Browning for the information). See also I Wonder as I Wander: The Life of John Jacob Niles by Ron Pen, University Press of Kentucky, 2010, pages 154-155, for a description of the development of the text.
1 Berio, Britten: "our"
2 Britten: "or’n’ry"; Rutter: "ornery"
3 Britten: "shepherds and farmers"
4 Berio: "the"
5 Britten: "On high from God’s heaven the star’s light did fall, /
And the promise of the ages it did then recall." ; omitted by Rutter
6 Berio: "of"
7 Berio: "could have had it 'cause"; Britten: "could've had it for"
Researcher for this page: Jeroen Scholten
3. Loosin yelav  [sung text checked 1 time]
Լուսին ելավ էն սարից Սարի բարձր գագաթից Շեկլիկ - մեկլիկ երեսով Փռվեց գետնին լուսնի ծով Ջան այն լուսնին, ջան քո լուսին Ջան քո կլոր շեկ երեսին Խավարն արդեն չքացավ Ու էլ գետնին չքացավ Լուսնի լույսով հալածված Մութ ամպերի մեջ մնաց Ջան այն լուսնին, ջան քո լուսին Ջան քո կլոր շեկ երեսին
Authorship:
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "The moon rose", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
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Note: the following transliteration appears in Berio's score:
Loosin yelav en sareetz saree partzaer gadareetz shegleeg megleeg yeresov paervetz kedneen loosnidzov Jan ain loosin Jan ko loosin Jan ko gaelor sheg yereseen xavarn arten tchaekatzav oo el kedneen tchaegatzav loosni loosov halatzvadz moot amberi metch maenadz Jan ain loosin Jan ko loosin Jan ko gaelor sheg yereseen
Research team for this page: Jeroen Scholten , Laura Prichard [Guest Editor]
4. Rossignolet du bois  [sung text checked 1 time]
rossignolet du bois rossignolet sauvage apprends-moi ton langage apprends-moi-z à parler apprends-moi la manìère comment il faut aimer comment il faut aimer je m'en vais vous le dire faut chanter des aubades deux heures après minuit faut lui chanter: la belle c'est pour vous réjouir on m'avait dit la belle que vous avez des pommes des pommes de renettes qui sont dans vot' jardin permettez-moi la belle que j'y mette la main non je ne permettrai pas que vous touchiez mes pommes prenez d'abord la lune et le soleil en main puis vous aurez les pommes qui sont dans mon jardin
5. A la femminisca  [sung text checked 1 time]
Signuruzzu miù faciti bon tempu ha iu l'amanti miu 'mmezzu lu mari l'arvuli d'oru e li ntinni d'argentu la Marunnuzza mi l'av' aiutari chi pozzanu arrivaeri 'nsarva mentu e comu arriva 'na littra ma fari ci ha mittiri du duci paroli comu ti l'ha passatu mari mari
Authorship:
- from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , from Sicily.
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Researcher for this page: Jeroen Scholten6. La donna ideale  [sung text checked 1 time]
L'ómo chi mojer vor piar de quatro cosse de'espiar la primiera è com'èl [è] na l'altra è de l'è ben accostuma l'altra è como el è forma la quarta è de quanto el è dota se queste cosse ghe comprendi a lo nome de Dio la prendi.
Authorship:
- from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , Ligurian (Genovese)
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "The ideal woman", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La femme idéale", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
7. Ballo  [sung text checked 1 time]
Amor fa disciare li più saggi [e] chi più l'ama meno ha in sè misura più folle è quello che più s'innamora amor non cura di fare suoi dannaggi co li suoi raggi mette tal calura che non puo raffreddare per freddura
Authorship:
- from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , Sicily
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Dance", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Danse", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
8. Motetto de tristura  [sung text checked 1 time]
tristu passirillanti comenti massimbillas tristu passirillanti e puita mi consillas a prangi po s'amanti tristu passirillanti cand'happess interrada tristu passirillanti faimi custa cantada cand'happess interrada
Authorship:
- from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , Sardinia
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Researcher for this page: Jeroen Scholten9. Malurous qu'o uno fenno  [sung text checked 1 time]
Malurous qu'o uno fenno, Malurous qué n'o cat ! Qué n'o cat n'en bou uno, Qué n'o uno n'en bou pas ! Tradèra, ladèri dèrèro ladèra, ladèri dèra. Urouzo lo fenno Qu'o l'omé qué li cau ! Urouz' inquèro maito O quèlo qué n'o cat ! Tradèra, ladèri dèrèro ladèra, ladèri dèra.
Authorship:
- from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , from France
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Unhappy is he who has a wife ", subtitle: "Dance song", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
10. Lo fiolairé  [sung text checked 1 time]
Ton qu'èrè pitchounèlo, Gordavè loui moutous. Ti lirou lirou... la la diri tou tou la lara! Obio 'no counoulhèto è n'ai près u postrou. Ti lirou lirou... la la diri tou tou la lara! Per fa l'obiroudèto Mè domound' un poutou. Ti lirou lirou... la la diri tou tou la lara! È ièu soui pas ingrato, Èn lièt d'un n'in fau dous! Ti lirou lirou... la la diri tou tou la lara!
Authorship:
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "The spinner", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La fileuse", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
11. Azerbaijan love‑song  [sung text checked 1 time]
Da maesden bil de maenaes di dilamnanai ai naninai go shadaemae hey ma naemaes yar go shadaemae hey ma naemaes sen ordan chaexman boordan tcholoxae mae dish ma naemaes yar tcholoxae mae dish ma naemaes kaezbe li nintché dirai nintché lebleri gontchae derai gontchae kaezbe linini je deri nintché lebleri gontcha de le gontcha na plitye korshis sva doi ax kroo gomshoo nyaka mae shi ax pastoi xanaem pastoi jar doo shi ma nie patooshi go shadaemae hey ma naemaes yar go shadaemae hey ma naemaes sen ordan chaexman boordan tcholoxae mae dish ma naemaes yar tcholoxae mae dish ma naemaes kaezbe li nintché dirai nintché lebleri gontchae derai gontchae nie didj dom ik diridit boost ni dietz stayoo zaxadit ootch to boodit ai palam syora die limtchésti snova papalam
Authorship:
- from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Azerbaycan Yöresi Türküleri", Azerbaijani
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Note: this is an approximation of words heard on and transcribed from the radio. The folk song in Azerbaijani is:Bugün ayın üçüdür de Gülüm nana yayla nina Girme bostan içidir yar Girme bostan içidir Dudakların bal şeker Dilin badem içidir Bağlantı (Refrain) Kız belin incedir ay ince Leblerin goncadır ay gonca Bugün ayın onudur de Gülüm nana yayla nina Yüküm buğday unudur yar Yüküm buğday unudur Evliye gönül verme Eve gider unutur (Bağlantı) Arakçının mendedir de Gülüm nana yayla nina Sermişem çemendedir yar Sermişem çemendedir Dünya közele dönse Menim gönlüm sendedir (Bağlantı)
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Jeroen Scholten