{"id":566,"date":"2010-12-12T13:57:32","date_gmt":"2010-12-12T13:57:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/?p=566"},"modified":"2010-12-12T13:57:32","modified_gmt":"2010-12-12T13:57:32","slug":"santa-lucia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/santa-lucia\/","title":{"rendered":"Santa Lucia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here in Italy, the 13th of December is the festival of Santa Lucia<\/strong>, a day which, in many countries of the northern hemisphere, used to be considered the shortest of the year. Many cultures still celebrate the winter solstice at this time with ‘festivals of light’. This brings back a memory from my childhood, when we lived abroad. One year some Swedish friends invited me and my family to watch their traditional Santa Lucia procession. A group of young girls dressed in white and holding candles escorted an older girl wearing a crown of candles on her head (Santa Lucia), whilst singing a familiar sounding hymn. I heard an exclamation of surprise, and turned to see my mother whispering, with an astonished expression: "Ma … ma questa \u00e8 la melodia di una canzone napoletana!" <\/strong>(But … but this is the melody of a Neapolitan Folk song!) When I asked her later why she had been so surprised by the melody that we heard my mother explained that the song Santa Lucia is not a religious hymn, and doesn’t really have anything to do with Santa Lucia or festivals of light. It is simply a popular song about an area of Napoli.<\/font><\/p>\n

This famous ‘barcarole’ (the name for this type of song) portrays the beauty of Borgo Santa Lucia<\/strong> on the Bay of Naples as seen by a sailor from his boat, and was composed by Teodoro Cottrau in 1849, right at the beginning of the wars for the independence and unification of Italy. For this reason the lyrics of this song were written in Italian instead of the more popular Neapolitan dialect. <\/font><\/p>\n

This song has been translated into many languages and sung by many famous singers, including Elvis Presley in 1965. In the Scandinavian countries, its lovely tune has been used, with different lyrics of course, for the winter festival of Saint Lucy, which explains why we heard it sung in the procession that we watched all those years ago. Here are the original Italian lyrics together with my translation in English:<\/font><\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Sul mare luccica l\u2019astro d\u2019argento.
Placida \u00e8 l\u2019onda, prospero \u00e8 il vento.
Sul mare luccica l\u2019astro d\u2019argento.
Placida \u00e8 l\u2019onda, prospero \u00e8 il vento.
Venite all\u2019agile barchetta mia,
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!
Venite all\u2019agile barchetta mia,
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Upon the sea shines the silver moon.
Placid the wave. Fair the wind. 
Upon the sea shines the silver moon.
Placid the wave. Fair the wind.
Come to my agile little boat,
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!
Come to my agile little boat,
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Con questo zeffiro, cos\u00ec soave,
Oh, com\u2019\u00e8 bello star sulla nave!
Con questo zeffiro, cos\u00ec soave,
Oh, com\u2019\u00e8 bello star sulla nave!
Su passeggeri, venite via!
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!
Su passeggeri, venite via!
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

With this zephyr, so gentle,
Oh, how lovely it is to be aboard!
With this zephyr, so gentle,
Oh, how lovely it is to be aboard!
Come on passengers! Come away!
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia! 
Come on passengers! Come away!
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

In fra le tende, bandir la cena
In una sera cos\u00ec serena,
In fra le tende, bandir la cena
In una sera cos\u00ec serena,
Chi non dimanda, chi non desia.
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!
Chi non dimanda, chi non desia.
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

To lay out supper in amongst the sails
On an evening so serene,
To lay out supper in amongst the sails
On an evening so serene,
who could ask or desire for more.
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!
who could ask or desire for more.
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Mare s\u00ec placido, vento s\u00ec caro,
Scordar fa i triboli al marinaro,
Mare s\u00ec placida, vento s\u00ec caro,
Scordar fa i triboli al marinaro,
E va gridando con allegria,
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!
E va gridando con allegria,
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Such a placid sea, such a sweet wind,
Makes the mariner forget his troubles,
Such a placid sea, such a sweet wind,
Makes the mariner forget his troubles,
And he goes forth joyfully, crying  
\u201cSanta Lucia! Santa Lucia!\u201d
And he goes forth joyfully, crying  
\u201cSanta Lucia! Santa Lucia!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

O dolce Napoli, o suol beato,
Ove sorridere volle il creato,
O dolce Napoli, o suol beato,
Ove sorridere volle il creato,
Tu sei l’impero dell\u2019armonia,
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!
Tu sei l’impero dell\u2019armonia,
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Oh, sweet Naples, oh, blessed soil,
Where Creation chose to smile,
Oh, sweet Naples, oh blessed soil,
Where Creation chose to smile,
You are the realm of harmony,
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!
You are the realm of harmony,
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!<\/font><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Or che tardate? Bella \u00e8 la sera
Spira un\u2019auretta fresca e leggiera.
Or che tardate? Bella \u00e8 la sera.
Spira un\u2019auretta fresca e leggiera.
Venite all\u2019agile barchetta mia,
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!
Venite all\u2019agile barchetta mia,
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Why do you linger? Fair is the evening.
It breathes a little breeze, fresh and light. 
Why do you linger? Fair is the evening.
It breathes a little breeze, fresh and light.
Come to my agile little boat,
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!
Come to my agile little boat,
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here in Italy, the 13th of December is the festival of Santa Lucia, a day which, in many countries of the northern hemisphere, used to be considered the shortest of the year. Many cultures still celebrate the winter solstice at this time with ‘festivals of light’. This brings back a memory from my childhood, when…<\/p>\n

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