Aggio vuluto bbene a ddoje Madonne, Francesco Albanese, With Translation

Francesco Albanese (1912-2005) was from Torre del Greco, and had a very good career, primarily in Italy, although he did sing in Portugal and Latin America. He recorded, in addition to standards form the lyric tenor repertoire, a number of Neapolitan songs, in which he excelled. “Aggio Vuluto bbene a ddoje Madonne“ is certainly one of the most unusual of them all. Its dark and highly emotional combination of religiosity, betrayal, repentance and longing are deeply Latin, more characteristically Spanish than Italian. Here are the lyrics and my translation of the Neapolitan: Aggio vuluto bbene a ddoje Madonne, I have loved two madonnas; ll’aggio vuluto bbene pe’ tant’anne: I’ve loved them very much for many years. Una, ’a tenevo dint’’o core mio... One, I held within my heart n’ata, ’a pregavo dint’’a casa ’e Dio... and the other I prayed to in church. Mo sóngo nu spergiuro, I made promises I didn’t keep só’ n’ombra nera ca p’’o munno gira I’m a black cloud wandering through the world ’a quanno, pe’ n’ammore, since, because of a love, chist’uocchie mieje só’ ’nfuse ’e chianto eyes are heavy with bitter tears. Aggio vuluto bene a doje Madonne... I have loved two madonnas chella d’’a cchiesa manco ’a veco ’a n’anno... I haven’t seen the one in church in over a year Chi sa pecché Who knows why nun saccio cchiù pregá! I don’t know how to pray any more! E tu, da ’o cielo, oje má’, You, in Heaven, mother! prega p’’a fá turná!... Pray for her to return! Stanotte mamma mm’è venuta ’nzuonno Tonight, mother came to me in a dream cu ’a voce ’e quanno mme cantava ’a nonna... With the voice she used when she sang me lullabies. mm’ha ditto: “Figlio, chella se n’avanta... and she said, “My son, she is stubborn, ma fatte ’a croce tu cu ll’acqua santa!“ so make the sign of the cross with holy water!