Texts of the Neapolitan songs

'Sta luggetella mia, fore 'o mercato,
Guardava 'o campanaro d' 'a Madonna.
Quanno veneva 'a sera d'allummata,
Pareva 'nu ciardino chino 'e fronne.

Tutt' 'e culure 'e ciento lampiuncielle
Pittavano 'sti ffronne a una a una,
Mentre l'argiento 'e 'nu migliaro 'e stelle
Chiuveva 'int' a 'sta loggia 'nzieme a luna.

'Na chiorma 'e figliulelle fresche e allere
Parevano farfalle 'e primmavera:
Cu 'e vvocche 'nzuccarate d' 'o mellone
Spannevano pe' l'aria 'na canzona.
Era 'a canzona 'e Napule,
Canzona ca nun more,
Che resta dint' ô core
E nun se fa scurdà!

D' 'a luggetella mia fore 'o mercato
Nun c'è rimasta manco cchiù 'na fronna.
'Mmiez' a 'n'ammasso 'e case sgrarrupate,
Chiagne 'stu campanaro d' 'a Madonna.

Ma quanno sarrà 'o juorno d' 'a Vittoria,
Quanno 'stu chianto se sarrà asciuttato,
Tutt' 'e ccampane sunarranno a gloria,
Pe' salutà 'sta ggente ch'è turnata!

E tornano 'e ffigliole 'n'ata vota,
Comm' 'e ppalomme attuorno a 'na fiammata:
Cu 'e vvocche 'nzuccarate d' 'o mellone,
E spanneno pe' l'aria 'na canzona.
Torna 'a canzona 'e Napule
Ch'è bella e ca nun more,
Che resta dint' ô core
E nun se fa scurdà!

Chist'è 'o core 'e Napule:
Popule tristo e allero
Ca pure quanno more
Ritorna pe' campà.

My balcony behind Mercato Square
Overlooked the bell tower of Madonna's church*.
When the festive lanterns were lit,
Surrounded by trees, my balcony seemed a garden.

With the colors of hundred lanterns
The leaves on the trees were painted
While the thousand silver stars
Together with the moon were shining on my balcony.

Crowds of young and cheerful girls
Looked like the spring butterflies:
With the lips sweet from watermelon
They sang a song.
It was a song about Naples,
A song that doesn't die,
That stays in the heart
And never will be forgotten!

Around my balcony behind Mercato Square
There's not a single leaf left.
In the middle of destroyed houses
The bell tower of Madonna's church cries.

But when Victory day comes,
When there's no more weeping
All the bells will ring to glory
To greet the people returned from the war!

And girls will come back again
Like butterflies around a flame:
With the lips sweet from watermelon
They will sing a song.
A song of Naples will come back
A song that is beautiful and doesn't die,
That stays in the heart
And never will be forgotten!

It's the heart of Naples:
The sad and cheerful people
Who, even when they die,
Go back to live.