Part 32 (1/2)

The following ballad may be cla.s.sed as Florentine, since it was in Florence that I heard it sung, but it is not attached to any particular place. It is one of those compositions which are either sung or simply recited, and quite as often intoned in a manner which is neither singing nor speaking. In such chant, when a rhyme happens to fall in by chance, the utmost is made of it by dwelling on the word or drawling it out.

Sometimes, as in the following, there are verses of four lines each, but only the concluding line of every verse rhymes, _i.e._, with the preceding last line of the previous stanza:

IL STREGHONE COI DENTI ROSSI.

”C'era un gran signore Che una bella figlia aveva, Far la felice lo credeva, Col far la maritar.

”'Babbo, no'voglio marito, Prendo uno soltanto, Se si uomo coi dente rossi, Di famelo trovar.'

”'Figlia, non e possibile A me mi strazzi il cuor Avanti di morire Vo farti tranquillo il cuor.'

”Un giorno allor comparvi, Un giovane a.s.sai bello, E denti rossi li teneva, La sua figlia, Amelia, 'Mi dica dove ella.'

”'Io lo vo sposare, E con me la vo' portare.'

'Dimmi dove la porti, Giovane sconosciuto, La mia figlia no ti rifiuto, Coi denti rossi lo vuol sposar?'

”Sposa la siora Amelia, E se la porta via.

La casa dove sia, Questo poi non lo sa.

”La porta in una capanna, Di foglie, legno, e fieno, 'Ortello fa sapere, Se vuoi saper chi sono.

”'Io sono un' streghone, Te'l giuro in verita, La notte a mezzanotte Io ti faccio levar.

”'Ti porto al camposanto, A sotterar i morti; E se tu vuoi mangiar, Quel sangue, bella mia, Tu l'ai da succiar.'

”La giovana disperata, Piange, grida e si dispera, Ma rimedio piu non v'era Anche lei una strega, Toccava diventar.”

TRANSLATION.

”There was a grand signore Who had a daughter fair; He longed to see her happy, And wished that she were wed.

”'Oh, father! I would not marry, I have vowed to have for my husband One with teeth as red as coral.

Oh! find him for me,' she said.

”'My daughter, it is not possible, You wring and pain my heart.

Ere I die and pa.s.s away I would fain be at peace,' said he.

”One day there appeared before her A knight of goodly seeming, His teeth were red as coral.

Said the beautiful Amelia, 'There is the spouse for me.'

”'I will marry her,' said the knight, 'And bear her with me away.'

'Tell me where wilt thou take her, Thou strange and unknown man.

I do not refuse her to thee, But whither wilt thou roam?'

”He married fair Amelia, And carried her far away.

”Where is the house thou dwell'st in?