xiphophilos 31st Aug 2019
| | The song on the A side, written by E. A. Mario (pseudonym of Giovanni Ermete Gaeta) for New York's Piedigrotta Festival of 1923, refers to the experience of Italian immigrants to America by taking about "fronna 'e limone" ("lemon leaf", a kind of Neapolitan song) being mixed with the American Fox Trot.
Giacchè mo tutt’e mmusiche
Se cantano cu ‘e piede int’ ‘e salotte,
giacchè pure ‘e ccanzone so’ fostrotte
mo canto nu motivo comm’ ì so!
‘Fronna ‘e limone’, va’, curre in America,
e fatte americana primm’ ‘e mo!
(Since now all music / is sung with a foot in the parlor / since this foxtrot is also a song / I’ll sing the tune as only I know how / Fronna ‘e limone, go run to America / and become American as fast as you can!)
‘Fronna ‘e limone’,
chist’è ‘o mutivo ch’era na canzone,
e tene ‘na fragranza napulitana….
Che ce sta ‘e male
Si ‘o danzano a fostrotte tale e quale?
Piglia ‘a cittadinanza americana!
(Fronna ‘e limone / this is the tune that was a song / and it has a Neapolitan fragrance / What’s so very wrong / if they dance the foxtrot just as it is? / Get American citizenship!)
Gnorsì, pure ‘o sassofono
Mettesse ‘na fetecchia addò ce serve,
sinò – comme se dice? – perde ‘a verve,
la giusta espressione ca ce vò
Mettitece ‘e strumente chiù impossibile!
Pure ‘e triccaballacche? E pecchè no?
(Yes sir, even the saxophone / would add a raspberry wherever needed / if not – how do you say – it loses its verve / that’s the right expression / Add the most impossible instrument! / Even the triccaballacche [kind of rattle]? And why not?)
‘Fronna ‘e limone’,
si stu mutivo nun è chiù canzone,
perde chella fragranza napulitana!
Che ce sta ‘e male?
‘O danzano a fostrotte tale e quale!
Chest’è ‘a cittadinanza Americana….
(Fronna ‘e limone / if this tune is no longer a song / it loses its Neapolitan fragrance! / What’s so very wrong? / They dance the foxtrot just as it is! / This is American citizenship…)
Però, turnanno a Napule
Chistu mutivo adda restà comm’era
Cantato a chiaro ‘e luna a tarda sera,
se scorda ‘e ‘mmaratone’ d’ ‘o ddanzà…
Tutti i rispetti ai piedi dell’America,
ma ‘a Maratona ‘e Napule è ‘o ccantà!
(But coming back to Naples / This tune must remain as it was / Sung in the moonlight, late in the evening / forget the ‘dance marathons’ / Pay all our respects to the feet of America / but the marathon in Naples is singing songs!)
Fronna ‘e limone,
si stu mutivo ccà resta canzone,
acquista na fragranza napulitana…
Che ce sta ‘e male?
Si torna addu ‘e scugnizze tale e quale?
Perde ‘a cittadinanza Americana….
(Fronna ‘e limone / if this tune remains a song / it acquires a Neapolitan fragrance… / What’s so very wrong? / If it goes back to the street urchins as it was? / It will lose its American citizenship…)
[Text & translation by Raffaele Di Mauro] |