A  CUZZECARA   E   NAPULE 

Che bello frutto ca’ tenimme po’ mare

ca’ cresce attaccato n’faccia a nu reste

se’ vulle, se m’pepa, se pesca a lampare

pero’ n’coppe e linguine facimme na’ festa

E truove azzeccate a l’erbe e stu’ mare

e tene na saguma a forma e cunghiglia
se’ mangia chiu’ a Napule a comme me’ pare

e cierto ca’ piacene a tutta a famiglia

Passanne pe’ Capo Miseno po’ mare

truove varche e lampare pe’ sott’a muntagna

addo’ vide e cannuccie, la’ sta’ a cuzzecara

chi pesca da sule, e chi tene o cumpagno

Na vota e mangiave cu’ senza paura

ma’ mo’ truove o mare ch’e’ spuorco nu schifo

cu’ tutti sti’ mezzi,traghetti e vapure

ti’ ha sta’ pure attiento, ca’ nun piglie nu tifo.
 

di: Antonio De Girolamo

NAPLES   MUSSELS   FARM  

What a delicious mollusk we have in the sea

that grows stuck to a twine rope

we boil them, we pepper them, fish it with sea lamps

but on top of linguini for us it’s a feast day

You’ll find them stuck on seaweed

and they are shaped like a sea shell

they’re eaten more in Naples as I remember

and its certain the whole family loves them

As you pass by Capo Miseno Point by the sea

You’ll see fishing boats with lamps closer to the rocks

where you sea straw nets  there is the mussels farm

who fishes alone and who has a partner

At one time you would eat them without any danger

but now the sea is dirty and disgusting

with all these ferries, speed boats and big ships

you got to be careful you don’t catch a typhus.

by: Antonio De Girolamo