CANTA RO´ IN TRIO | CREDITS | MAKING OF


01. Quantu basilicò | 02. L'anatra | 03. Signuruzzu | 04. Cu ti lu dissi | 05. Muccaturi | 06. U cunigghiu | 07. Ntra viddi e vaddi | 08. I pirati a Palermu | 09. Trabia | 10. Olìolà | 11. Lu libbru | 12. Nta la Vicarìa | 13. Lu suli | 14. Rosa canta e cunta | 15. Quannu moru | 16. Liggenna | 17. Arsira | 18. Amuri | 19. Recitativo

 | 01. Quantu basilicò ~ How much Basil

How much basil
do you sow each year...
you must give me one sprig every day.

Oh! If it is my heart you want
I will send it to you,
but you must give me yours
upon your return.

Oh! How sweet
is the smell of your soft skin!
so intense
that it dispels sleep.

Oh, my love!
if you were my butler,
tomorrow I would
only arise at noon 

 | 02. L'anatra ~ The Duck

I have the feet, the feet of a duck
step by step they say he comes
and as he comes he goes
I have the feet of a duck.

Oh, I have the leg, the leg of a duck
leg with leg, pull it and excite yourself
step by step they say he comes
and as he comes he goes
I have the feet of a duck.

Oh, I have the thigh, the thigh of a duck,
thigh with thigh, pull it, squeeze it
leg with leg, pull it and excite yourself
step by step they say he comes
and as he comes he goes
I have the feet of a duck.

Oh, I have the ciarrabbaddazzu*, the ciarrabbaddazzu of a duck
ciarrabbaddazzu I pull and caress
thigh with thigh, pull it, squeeze it
leg with leg, pull it and excite yourself
step by step they say he comes
and as he comes he goes
I have the feet of a duck.

Oh, I have the stomach, the stomach of a duck
stomach with stomach
pull it and come closer
ciarrabbaddazzu I pull and caress
thigh with thigh, pull it, squeeze it
leg with leg, pull it and excite yourself
step by step they say he comes
and as he comes he goes
I have the feet of a duck.

Oh, I have the breast, the breast of a duck
and with my breast I prepare the bed
stomach with stomach
pull it and come closer
ciarrabbaddazzu I pull and caress
thigh with thigh, pull it, squeeze it
leg with leg, pull it and excite yourself
step by step they say he comes
and as he comes he goes
I have the feet of a duck.

* ciarrabbaddazzu are the genital organs of the animal.  

 | 03. Signuruzzu ~ Little Jesus

Little Jesus make it rain make it rain
the trees are thirsty.

Send us heavy rain
without thunder and lightening.

Our Saviour do not punish us
because you take us away the bread.

Our Saviour, you forgive us
wenn you send us water.

Water from heaven
quenches the earth's thirst
spring full of mercy.

Our tears fall to the ground
and God gives us mercy. 

 | 04. Cu ti lu dissi ~ Who told you

Who told you that I am going to leave you
better death than this pain
Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! I die I die I die I die
breath of my heart my love you are.

Who told you, my little one
my heart tears me apart
little by little by little by little
Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! I die I die I die I die
breath of my heart my love you are.

The first love I made with you
and ungrateful you, you forget me
let us make peace oh my little one
breath of my heart my love you are. 

 | 05. Muccaturi ~ The handkerchief

The beautiful one promised me a handkerchief
she promised me it as she was washing it in the river.

The golden water and the soap of love
with each rub I want to kiss you.

Then I hang it out in a ray of sunshine
on top of a rose to keep it clean.

From one side to the other I want to embroider it
with a golden eagle in the centre. 

 | 06. U cunigghiu ~ The Rabbit

The rabbit has a mouth,
and you too have a mouth,
and tonight I dreamt
I was lying next to you, mouth to mouth.

Oh, the cherry,
what a lovely smell the cherry has!
the girl hugs me and kisses me,
she wants the cherry with the whole branch.

The rabbit has breath,
and you too have breath,
and tonight I dreamt
I was lying next to you, breath to breath.

Oh, the quince,
what a lovely smell the quince has!
this girl, I press her
against me, I hug her,
she wants the quince with the whole branch.

The rabbit has a chest,
and you too have a chest,
and tonight I dreamt
I was lying next to you, chest to chest.

Oh, the cherry,
what a lovely smell the cherry has!
the girl hugs me and kisses me,
she wants the cherry with the whole branch.

The rabbit has a stomach,
and you too have a stomach,
and tonight I dreamt
I was lying next to you, stomach to stomach.

Oh, the quince,
what a lovely smell the quince has!
this girl, I press her
against me, I hug her,
she wants the quince with the whole branch.

The rabbit has thighs,
and you too have thighs,
and tonight I dreamt
I was lying next to you, thigh to thigh.

Oh, the cherry,
what a lovely smell the cherry has!
the girl hugs me and kisses me,
she wants the cherry with the whole branch.

The rabbit has feet,
and you too have feet,
and tonight I dreamt
I was lying next to you, foot to foot.

Oh, the quince,
what a lovely smell the quince has!
this girl, I press her
against me, I hug her,
she wants the quince with the whole branch.

The rabbit has hair,
and you too have hair,
and tonight I dreamt
I was lying next to you, hair to hair.

Oh, the cherry,
what a lovely smell the cherry has!
the girl hugs me and kisses me,
she wants the cherry with the whole branch. 

 | 07. Ntra viddi e vaddi ~
Zwischen Villen und Tälern

Between villas and valleys
Between villas and valleys and dense woods
where is my lover I ask me from there
I go to search for her but I don't know where
for her love I go around the world.
I go to the sea and I ask the waves
"could you tell me where my love is gone?"
and the echo from afar replies
that she went away as a slave of the Turks

I would like Orlando 's sword
so that I could travel the world
my Agatina will die this year
who has taken you?...Ah! I'm getting confused
It was her mother who with a tyrannical heart
send her to the sea to look for the grandfather
why did you fall for it, didn't you hear the
announcement that said
"do not go to the sea because there are Turks"?

Take up your arms and run joung men!
everyone's strenght and courage is needed
those who have the crucufix and those who have
hung on a pitchfork
how did these infamous Turks get in.
those who have the crucufix and those who have
hung on a pitchfork
how did these infamous Turks get in 

 | 08. I pirati a Palermu ~
The Pirates in Palermo

The ships arrived,
many ships, in Palermo.
the pirates stepped ashore
with faces from hell.

The sun, they robbed us of the sun.
we remained in darkness, so dark!
Sicily (cries).

The color gold in the oranges
is what the pirates stole.
barren fields full of fog
is what they left us.

The sun, they robbed us of the sun.
we remained in darkness, so dark!
Sicily (cries).

They stole the colors of the sea,
what grief!
The fishes turned insane,
hear how they lament!

The sun, they robbed us of the sun.
We remained in darkness, so dark!
Sicily (cries).

They tore out
from our women's Eyes,
the light and the fire
that made the mirrors shine.

The sun, they robbed us of the sun.
We remained in darkness, so dark!
Sicily cries. 

 | 09. Trabia ~ Tunny-fishing song

Now I am going to lower the net at Trabia
a small brightly lit tunny-fishing net.

But I really didn't expect
to return to find the traps destroyed.

Oh Ciccio the Long one, listen to me
these lights won't reach Palermo.

I'm sitting on the top of Mount Grosso
I see the tunas but they pass me by, far in the distance.

And you Trabia like a corsu dog
are right on top of me like a fiend. 

 | 10. Oliolà

(Ancient fisherman song from Ognina cfr. n. 444 Corpus del Favara)

Oilè oilè oilì oilì oilè oilè oilì oilì oilè oilà
Few words,
Oilè oilè oilì oilì oilè oilè oilì oilì oilà
A palace
Built in the middle of the sea.
There is a new villa there,
The wind comes and pushes it onto the shore.

Oilè oilè oilà

Oilè oilè oilì oilì oilè oilè oilì oilì oilà
There is a *"mariola" girl there.
Oilè oilè oilì oilì oilè oilè oilì oilì oilà
We shall call her...
We shall call her "Camiola".
She has dark wavy hair,
And she braids it in Palermo fashion.

*1. Imaginary language
*2. "mariola" : girl from the sea  

 | 11. Lu libbru di li nfami ~
The book of the infamous

You bought he book of the infamous
the first disgrace you did to me.

I hear no clock or bell
I feel chained like a dog.

I hear someone calling mother and I'm in torment
what a mother... the chain answers.

I would like to kill the one who wanted it like this
An old bullet and a shot from a shotgun. 

 | 12. Nta la Vicarìa ~ Inside the Vicarage

Inside the Vicarage there is trouble
especially for those who have no-one
friends come for everyone but never for me
I desperately clutch the bars. 

 | 13. Lu suli ~ The sun

The sun is going down
tomorrow it will return
but you my son
you will never return

the sun is going down
tomorrow it will return
if I go
I will never return. 

 | 14. Rosa canta e cunta ~
Rosa Sings and Speaks

Tonight I shall go and run with the wind
to open the gates of history.
Tonight I want to revive the past
and the memories, just for a moment.
Tonight, with the flame of love,
I dig a grave for the pain.

There is more suffering and pain
than joy and love of mankind.
it is not the tears that change one's fate,
it is not the fear that stops the course of things.

I open my fists, I count my fingers,
I stay as I am and step out into life.
I tell you stories and sing, sing and tell stories
so as not to forget anything.

No one has blessed my path,
not even the little hand of a priest.
Now I am going to run with the wind
and look for a moment of peace.
I want to rip the sky apart
to make it rain cascades of love.

There are those who betray and rule,
and those who stand mutely in silence.
Power makes the mighty strong,
remaining silent is what kills the innocent.

I was born when the tyrant
scorned wherever we went,
times of abuse, famine and war.
I grew up amongst the villains,
how many silent tears did I cry,
my innocence was taken and shared by so many.

Bad people, violent people,
there are so many in this society.
It is not love that grows,
but just the privileges of those who rule. 

 | 15. Quannu moru ~ When I Die

When I die
do not have a mass said for me,
but think
of me, your friend.

When I die
bring me a flower,
a flower so big and red
as the blood that was shed.

When I die
make sure that I "do not die".
tell everyone
what I told you.

When I die
do not feel lonely.
I shall not leave you,
not even when I lie in my grave.

When I die
sing my songs,
do not forget them,
keep singing them for everyone else.

When I die
think of me from time to time,
since I died for this poor country
without a voice.

When I die
bring me a flower,
a flower so big and red
as the blood that was shed. 

 |  16. Liggenna ~ The legend of the flute

Oh shepherd, you who sets me to your lips
I am the daughter of the king
And to be able to take a goose feather
My brother has betrayed me

Oh shepherd, you who sets me to your lips
I was thrown into the calm waves
And to be able to take a goose feather
My brother has betrayed me

Oh shepherd, you who sets me to your lips
I was thrown into the calm waves
And to bring you a goose feather
My brother has betrayed me  

 |  17. A curuna ~ The crown

Yesterday my love came outside (declared himself)
on a golden flying horse.

Below my windows and my balconies
with a handkerchief in his hand and crying.

The King ans Queen appear
this young girl must be crowned

I am joung and my word does not change
I want him and not the crown 

 |  18. Amuri

(Siciliano / Sizilianisch)

Amuri ca di notti vai cantannu
jù eru a 'menzu sonnu e ti sintìa
jù eru a 'menzu sonnu e ti sintìa

Vutai li spaddi a me maritu cantu
cu li lacrimi all'occhi ca chiancìa
cu li lacrimi all'occhi ca chiancìa

La spunna di lu lettu era vagnata
jù l'asciucava cu la vampa mia
jù l'asciucava cu la vampa mia

Si 'nautra vota amuri vai cantannu
morta m'attrovi di malincunìa
morta m'attrovi di malincunìa  

 |  19. Recitativo ~ Quannu moru

I met Rosa Balistreri in Florence about 22 years ago, at the house of a friend of mine, a painter. That evening Rosa Balistreri sang the "Lament for the Death of Turiddu Carnivali", a short poem I wrote. I shall never forget that evening. Rosa's voice, her suppressed singing, was dramatic, fearful, and it seemed as if it rose straight from the parched earth of Sicily. I got the impression that I had known her all my life, had been there when she was born and had watched her grow up: a child - barefoot, poor - a woman, a mother. Rosa Balistreri is a wonderful figure, I'm almost inclined to say drama, a novel, a film without a face. Rosa Balistreri is a figure walking on thin ice, a figure that has a heart for everyone, that loves everyone, with an old, ancient heart for the Sicily of Vittorini and Quasimodo, and a young heart for the Sicily of Guttuso and Leonardo Sciascia.

1984-10-22, Ignazio Buttitta

The text recitative on track 19 is used with the kind permission of Prof. Nino Buttitta.

Letizia Battaglia. (Photo reproduced with the kind permission of the Photographer)