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Folk Songs

Song Cycle by Luciano Berio (1925 - 2003)

1. Black is the colour
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
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

Text Authorship:

  • from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , Scottish

See other settings of this text.

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

Researcher for this page: Jeroen Scholten

2. I wonder as I wander
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
I wonder as I wander out under the sky
how Jesus our Saviour did come for to die
for poor ordn'ry 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 and all
but high from the Heavens a star's light did fall
the promise of ages it then did recall.

If Jesus had wanted of 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 had it 'cause he was the King!

Text Authorship:

  • by John Jacob Niles (1892 - 1980), "I wonder as I wander", written 1933

See other settings of this text.

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

Note provided by Jeroen Scholten: 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.

Researcher for this page: Jeroen Scholten

3. Loosin yelav
 (Sung text)

Language: Armenian (հայերեն) 
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

Text Authorship:

  • from Volkslieder (Folksongs)

Go to the general single-text view

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

Copied from hy.wikisource.org

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)

Language: French (Français) 
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

Text Authorship:

  • from Volkslieder (Folksongs)

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English (Laura Claycomb) , "Nightingale", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Jeroen Scholten

5. A la femminisca
 (Sung text)

Language: Italian (Italiano) 
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

Text Authorship:

  • from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , from Sicily.

Go to the general single-text view

Researcher for this page: Jeroen Scholten

6. La donna ideale
 (Sung text)

Language: Italian (Italiano) 
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.

Text Authorship:

  • from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , Ligurian (Genovese)

Go to the general single-text view

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

Researcher for this page: Jeroen Scholten

7. Ballo
 (Sung text)

Language: Italian (Italiano) 
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

Text Authorship:

  • from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , Sicily

Go to the general single-text view

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

Researcher for this page: Jeroen Scholten

8. Motetto de tristura
 (Sung text)

Language: Italian (Italiano) 
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

Text Authorship:

  • from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , Sardinia

Go to the general single-text view

Researcher for this page: Jeroen Scholten

9. Malurous qu'o uno fenno
 (Sung text)

Language: Occitan 
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.

Text 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

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

10. Lo fiolairé
 (Sung text)

Language: Occitan 
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!

Text Authorship:

  • from Volkslieder (Folksongs)

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

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

11. Azerbaijan love‑song
 (Sung text)

Language: Multiple Languages 
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

Text Authorship:

  • from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , Azerbaijani

Go to the general single-text view

Note: this is an approximation of words heard on and transcribed from the radio. The original appears to be this folk text, a mix of Azerbaijani and Russian.

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Jeroen Scholten
Total word count: 735
Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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