'O Sole Mio | Italian Language Blog

‘O sole mio  is without doubt the most well known Neapolitan (and probably Italian) song in the world. The lyrics were written by the journalist Giovanni Capurro in 1898, and the music was composed by his friend Eduardo di Capua, a professional posteggiatore, a Neapolitan word meaning someone who sings in restaurants and at parties. They then sold the song to the music publisher Bidieri for 25 lire! Bidieri presented the song at the most important Neapolitan music festival, la festa di Piedigrotta. ‘O sole mio didn’t win but took second place and the rest, as they say, is history. Poor Capurro and Di Capua, however, went on living in poverty.

I chose this song not only because it’s the most famous Neapolitan song in the world, but because in my posts I often mention Italian dialects, and I thought this might be a good way to illustrate some of the differences between ‘proper’ Italian and dialetto (dialect).

Firstly the original Neapolitan text :

Che bella cosa na jurnata ‘e sole, / n’aria serena doppo na tempesta! / Pe’ ll’aria fresca pare gia’ na festa. / Che bella cosa na jurnata ‘e sole!

Ma n’atu sole / cchiu’ bello oi ne’. / ‘O sole mio / sta ‘nfronte a te! / ‘O sole, ‘o sole mio / sta ‘nfronte a te, / sta ‘nfronte a te! 

Lucene ‘e llastre d’a fenesta toia; / na lavannara canta e se ne vanta / e pe’ tramente torce, spanne e canta / lucene ‘e llastre d’a fenesta toia.

Ma n’atu sole / cchiu’ bello, oi ne’. / ‘O sole mio / sta ‘nfronte a te! 

Quanno fa notte e ‘o sole se ne scenne, / me vene quase ‘na malincunia; / sotto ‘a fenesta toia restarria / quanno fa notte e ‘o sole se ne scenne. 

Ma n’atu sole  / cchiu’ bello, oi ne’. / ‘O sole mio / sta ‘nfronte a te!

 

Now the Italian ‘translation’:

Che bella cosa una giornata di sole, / un’aria serena dopo la tempesta! / Per l’aria fresca pare gia’ una festa. / Che bella cosa una giornata di sole!

Ma un’altro sole / piu’ bello non c’e’. / Il sole, il sole mio / sta in fronte a te, / sta in fronte a te!

Luccicano i vetri della tua finestra; / una lavandaia canta e si vanta / mentre strizza, stende e canta / luccicano i vetri della tua finestra!

Ma un altro sole / piu’ bello non c’e’. / Il sole mio / sta in fronte a te!

Quando fa notte e il sole se ne scende, / mi viene quasi una malinconia; / resterei sotto la tua finestra, quando fa notte e il sole se ne scende.

Ma un altro sole / piu’ bello non c’e’. / Il sole mio / sta in fronte a te!

 

Neapolitan is just one of the many dialects spoken in Italy, but it is probably the most famous one due to the well known tradition of Canzone Napoletana, and to the many famous actors who have made Neapolitan a popular dialect. Comparing the two texts above it’s easy to see the similarities between the Italian language and Neapolitan dialect, e.g. you can see that na jurnata ‘e is a dialectic transformation of una giornata di, and so on. Seeing the Neapolitan and the Italian texts side by side doesn’t, however, really illustrate the true difference between spoken Italian and Neapolitan dialect. To understand this you will need to listen to ‘O sole mio performed by a true Neapolitan.

To finish with, here is my English translation of ‘O sole mio:

A sunny day is such a beautiful thing, / the air is serene after the storm! / The  fresh air really feels like a celebration / A sunny day is such a beautiful thing!

But there’s no other sun, / more beautiful. / The sun, my sun / upon your face! / upon your face!   The glass of your window is sparkling; / a washerwoman is singing and is boasting / while wringing out, hanging out and singing, / the glass of your window is sparkling.   But there’s no other sun, / more beautiful. / My sun / upon your face!   When night comes and the sun has set, / I feel almost melancholy; / I’d stay below your window, / when night comes and the sun has set.  

But there’s no other sun, / more beautiful. / The sun, my sun / upon your face! / upon your face!