For the past four days, Serena and myself have been working for the Pro Loco di Pontremoli at Ponticello in Lunigiana, where every year since 1994 la festa degli antichi mestieri is held. To find out more about this enchanting recreation of Italian village life at the beginning of the 20th century take a look at last year’s articles: The Weaver, Saturday Night in the Village

I Mestieri Nel Borgo at Ponticello is my favourite local festival. Taking place as it does in a small enclosed medieval village, with local folk of all ages helping to recreate the sights and sound of life as it was 100 years ago, it has a far more intimate and genuine feeling than the usual overly professional pageants which are put on mainly for the benefit of tourists. There’s so much going on in the little village that it’s easy to miss some of the more spontaneous side events. On our way out of the village last night, for example, we were lucky enough to bump into a local group of friends and musician having a great time singing traditional canti (folk songs) in the street.

Despite our tiredness after hours of working on il telaio (the loom), and with la creta (the clay) we were caught up in the jovial atmosphere and drawn into the intimate circle. Many of the songs, as is often the case with canti popolari italiani, are full of sexual innuendos, and one in particular had us in stitches. I haven’t been able to find a version on the internet that’s sung in such a suggestive and lurid way as the one that we heard, so here’s a short excerpt that I managed to capture on my very basic digital camera.

https://youtu.be/Gwf2B6wVYy8

At the end of the article is a link to the complete song performed by a professional folk group, although personally I far prefer the spontaneous, slightly raucous street singing of Ponticello.

Here are the lyrics with my translation … buon divertimento!

Lo Spazzacamin

Su e giù per le contrade
di qua e di là si sente
la voce allegramente
dello spazzacamin.

All around the quarters
from here and there you hear
the happy voice
of the chimney sweep

S’affaccia alla finestra
‘na bella signorina,
con voce graziosina
chiama lo spazzacamin

A lovely lass
looks out of the window
with a gracious voice
she calls the chimney sweep

Prima lo fa entrare
e poi lo fa sedere
dà da mangiare e bere
allo spazzacamin

First she lets him in
and then she sits him down
she gives food and drink
to the chimney sweep

E dopo aver mangiato
mangiato e ben bevuto
gli fa vedere il buco
il buco del camin

After having eaten
eaten and drunk well
she shows him the hole
the hole of the chimney

Mi spiace giovanotto
che il mio camino è stretto
povero giovinetto
come farà a salir?

I’m sorry young man
that my chimney is tight
poor young lad
how will you manage to get up

Non dubiti signora
son vecchio del mestiere
so fare il mio dovere
dello spazzacamin

Don’t doubt me miss
I’m an old hand at this
I know how to do my duty
as a chimney sweep

E dopo quattro mesi
la luna va crescendo
la gente va dicendo
è lo spazzacamin

And after four months
the moon is growing
folk go around saying
it’s the chimney sweep

E dopo nove mesi
è nato un bel bambino
assomigliava tutto
allo spazzacamin.

And after nine months
a lovely baby boy is born
it looked absolutely like
the chimney sweep

Here’s an additional verse not used in this version of the song:

E prima di uscire
da questa santa porta
proviamo un’altra volta
su e giù per il camin

And before going out
of this holy door
let’s have another go
up and down the chimney