La prigioniera
Language: Italian (Italiano)
Manda a di' alla su' sorella
che la cavi di prigionia
E le' ni manda a di'
che in prigione ci puol marcì'.
Manda a di' alla su' mamma
che la cavi di prigionia
E le' ni manda a di'
che in prigione ci puol marcì'.
Manda a dire allo suo padre
che la cavi di prigionia
E lu' ni manda a di'
che in prigione ci puol marcì'.
Manda a dire allo suo
damo che la levi di prigionia
E lu' se la va a prende',
e se la porta via.
- Morettina, 'un balla' più,
chè l'è morta la tu' sorella.
- E se l'è morta, la ci stia!
Quando l'ero in prigionia,
nun mi volse mai cavà'!
Suona, violino, chè voglio ballà!
- Morettina, 'un balla' più,
chè l'è morta la tu' mamma.
- E se l'è morta, la ci stia!
Quando l'ero in prigionia,
nun mi volse mai cavà'!
Suona, violino, chè voglio ballà!
- Morettina, 'un balla' più,
chè l'è morto lo tuo papà.
- E se l'è morto, lu' ci stia!
Quando l'ero in prigionia,
nun mi volse mai cavà'!
Suona, violino, chè voglio ballà!
- Morettina, 'un balla' più,
chè l'è morto lo tuo damo.
- Se l'è morto di davero,
mi farò il vestito nero,
E ballare io non vo' più.
Presto anch'io ne morirò.
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Bonnie Pomfret) , title 1: "The prisoner", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 40
Word count: 216
The prisoner
Language: English after the Italian (Italiano)
She sent word to her sister
to get her out of prison,
And she sent me to say
that she could rot in that prison.
She sent word to her mother
to get her out of prison,
And she sent me to say
that she could rot in that prison.
She sent word to her father
to get her out of prison,
And he sent me to say
that she could rot in that prison...
She sent word to her lover
to get her out of prison,
And he went to get her,
and took her away from there.
Dark-haired girl, stop your dancing,
Your sister is dead...
- And if she is dead, so be it!
When I was in prison,
she wouldn't get me out!
Play, violin, for I want to dance!
Dark-haired girl, stop your dancing,
Your mother is dead...
- And if she is dead, so be it!
When I was in prison,
she wouldn't get me out!
Play, violin, for I want to dance!
Dark-haired girl, stop your dancing,
Your father is dead...
- And if he is dead, so be it!
When I was in prison,
he wouldn't get me out!
Play, violin, for I want to dance!
Dark-haired girl, stop your dancing,
Your lover is dead...
- And if he is truly dead,
I will get a black dress,
And I won't want to dance any more.
For soon I too shall die.
Text Authorship:
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2008-01-19
Line count: 40
Word count: 236
