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Lullabies in Italian
     

In each language you can hear a short sample of the lullaby . You can also see some information about each lullaby (if available)

Download the lullabies on iTunes or buy the CD
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Go to sleep, my Simone 1
Lullaby of sounds and colours 1
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 Nana Bobo’ (Veneto) 1
Star, Little Star 1
Go to bed-byes, little chicken legs 1
 
   
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Nana Bobò
Nana Bobò (Veneto)
Sample (MP3)
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Nana bobò, *
nana bobò,
all children are sleeping
and Guido isn’t.

Sleep, sleep, sleep, for one year,
health to your father and then wealth.

Sleep, sleep, sleep, cradle baby.
Your mother is not here, she has gone away

Nana bobò,
nana bobò,
all children are sleeping
and Guido isn’t.

Nana bobò,
nana bobò,
tutti i bambini dormen
e Guido no.

E dormi, dormi, dormi per un anno,
La sanità a to padre poi il guadagno

E dormi, dormi, dormi, bambin de cuna.
To mama no la gh’è la a-sé andà via

Nana bobò,
nana bobò,
tutti i bambini dormen
e Guido no

About Nana Bobo’
This is a beautiful and very ancient lullaby of the Veneto lagoon. Balkan and Byzantine influences are evident in the structure of the song. The lullaby singer is wishing health and wealth to a beloved child who doesn’t want to sleep. The mother is not present. This lullaby has several more lines but they contain words in many dialects, so only few verses will be presented here:

Nana is a word meaning ‘sleep’. Bobò is a term of endearment, with no specific meaning.

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Go to sleep, my Simone
Fai la Nanna, Mio Simone
Sample (MP3)
1

The shepherd cries when it snows,
he doesn’t cry when he eats the‘Ricotta’*.

The shepherd cries when it rains,
he doesn’t cry when he eats the ‘Caciole’*

Hush a bye, my Simone,
You will learn your father’s art,
You will learn to use the cross-cut saw,
Hush a bye, my Simone.

Hush a bye, my sweetie,
Your dad has come,
he has brought a little hat for you,
Hush a bye, my sweetie.

Hush a bye, rag baby boy,
Until it will be half past twelve,
Until the bread in the oven will be ready,
Until it will be half past twelve,

Until the bread will be ready,
the damsels are in the square,
my baby is in his big bed,
and sleep, my Simone.

Il pecoraio piange quando fiocca,
non piange quando mangia la ricotta.

Il pecoraio piange quando piove
Non piange quando mangia le caciole

Fai la ninna mio Simone,
Imparerai l’arte del babbo,
Imparerai a tirar il segone,
Fai la ninna mio Simone.

Fai la ninna, citolo mio,
E’ venuto lo babbo tuo,
ha portato un cappellino,
Fai la ninna citolino.

Fai la ninna pupo de pezza,
Finché battera’ la mezza,
Finché è cotto il pane in forno,
Finché batte mezzogiorno.

Finché è fatta la focaccia,
Le donzelle stanno in piazza,
Il mio bimbo sta nel lettone,
E fai la ninna mio Simone.

About Go to sleep, my Simone
Go to sleep, my Simone is an example of the Italian old folk lullabies which depicts a feeling of the simple way of living in the old days. This is a lullaby from Tuscany and shows an initial exuberant tone followed by the sweeter pace of the cradle song. The mother is with her baby boy and she envisions his future following the father’s pattern in life and work. Other women are in the square talking and walking pleasantly, but she is at home cooking the focaccia bread and looking after her baby. The lullaby’s opening is exuberant and loud and the text is apparently very remote from what is usually a subject for a baby going to sleep. Then it takes a more calm and deep tone.

*Caciotta: a soft cheese from Central Italy
*Ricotta: soft white unsalted cheese

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Star, Little Star
Stella Stellina
Sample (MP3)
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Star, little star
The night is approaching:
the flame is tottering,
The cow is in the cowshed.
The sheep and the lamb,
the cow with the calf,
The hen with its chicks,
The cat with its kittens;
and all are sleeping
In the mother’s heart!

Stella stellina
la notte si avvicina:
la fiamma traballa,
la mucca é nella stalla.
La pecora e l'agnello,
la vacca col vitello,
la chioccia coi pulcini,
la gatta coi gattini;
e tutti fan la nanna
nel cuore della mamma!

About Star, Little Star
There is no indication on when and where this lullaby was created. It shows standard Italian and is one of the most popular cradle songs, used all over Italy. When Italians aged seventy and over have been asked if they have heard this song in their infancy, their response has been positive. So, we believe that Stella Stellina can be considered to be quite an old lullaby.
 
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Go to bed-byes, little chicken legs
Fate la nanna, coscine di pollo
Sample (MP3)
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Go to bed-byes, little chicken legs,
Mum made a skirt for you,
She made it with the scallop border.
Go to bed-byes, little chicken legs.

Sleep, sleep, little chicken legs,
Mum made a skirt for you,
She made it with the scallop border.
Sleep, sleep, little chicken legs.

Fate la nanna coscine di pollo,
la vostra mamma vi ha fatto un gonnello,
e ve l'ha fatto con lo smerlo in tondo,
fate la nanna coscine di pollo.

Dormi, dormi coscine di pollo,
che la mamma cuce il gonnello;
te lo cuce con tutto il contorno.
Dormi, dormi coscine di pollo

About Go to bed-byes, little chicken legs
Italian mothers know this lullaby, which is used regularly with no text variations. The little chicken legs can easily be those of little babies and the skirt refers to the time when many mothers could dedicate their attention to activities such as producing pieces of crochet for their babies.

This is a lullaby from Tuscany and naming a baby “little chicken legs” is an example of the great sense of humour of people from this region. Go to bed-byes, little chicken legs is very popular all over Italy.

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Lullaby of sounds and colours
Ninnananna dei suoni e dei colori
Sample (MP3)
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Hush a bye, little prince,
Hush a bye, little heart,
Sleep well in your cradle,
Your mum is here, close by.

Close your eyes, sleep for a long time
And you will see that everything is enchanting.

Red, green, blue and gold
Are more beautiful, my sweetheart.
Viola, harp and mandolin:
Everything is sound for my little baby boy

Hush a bye, little rose,
hush a bye, little doll
Sleep well in your cradle,
Your mum is here, close by.

Close your eyes, sleep for a long time
And you will see that everything is enchanting.

Red, green, blue and gold
Are more beautiful, my sweetheart.
Viola, harp and mandolin:
Everything is sound for my little baby boy

Fai la nanna principino,
Fai la nanna cuoricino,
Dormi bene nel lettino,
Che la mamma e’ qui vicino.

Chiudi gli occhi dormi tanto
E vedrai tutto e’ un incanto.

Rosso, verde, azzurro e oro
Son piu’ belli, mio tesoro.
Viola, arpa e mandolino:
Tutto e’ suono per il mio bambino

Fai la nanna rosellina,
Fai la nanna bambolina,
Dormi bene nel lettino,
Che la mamma e’ qui vicino.

Chiudi gli occhi dormi tanto
E vedrai tutto e’ un incanto.

Rosso, verde, azzurro e oro
Son piu’ belli, mio tesoro.
Viola, arpa e mandolino:
Tutto e’ suono per il mio bambino

About Lullaby of sounds and colours
This is a contemporary lullaby, just composed for the European Union Lingua project “Languages from the Cradle”. It is in a standard Italian and is dedicated to a baby boy and a baby girl who, while sleeping, or half-sleeping with his/her parents, explore a dream world made of beautiful colours and sounds.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
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Disclaimer: The project Languages from the cradle has been funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.