Mauro Quai, from Udine, Italy, has been sending me a variety of folk music for years. This powerful ballad from the North, sung here in Piemontese, is also found in other European languages, with the same basic story. I heard it ,_from "La Ciapa Rusa" of Turin, one of my favorite groups singing traditional music today, and this version is basically theirs, with only the instrumentation changed. As I was learning this, I realized with delight that I already knew the other voices who could sing it with me, and all were within a couple hours drive of here: Glenn Jenks as the King, Ann Dodson as the over-protective mother-in-law, and Beth Borgerhof as the daughter, the young wife of the King. I'm the narrator. Beth plays accordion here; Ann a 'cello drone, and the double-accordion-sounding effect is my 'cellamba playing melody over the accordion. This song was recorded by Greg Marley, and Imero Gobbato provided us with the English translation.
Re Gilardin Lu'l va a la guera
Lu'l va a la guera a tirar di spada.
O quand'l 'e stai mita la strada
Re Gilardin 'l 'e restai ferito
Re Gilardin ritorna 'ndietro
Dalla sua mamma vo 'nda a morire
O tun tun tun, pica la porta
O mamma mia, che mi son morto
O pica pian caro 'l mio figlio
Che la to dona 'l g'a 'n picul fante
O madona, la mia madona
Casa vol dire ch'i sonan tanto?
O nuretta, la mia nuretta
j g'fan 'legria al tuo fante
O madona, la mia madona
Casa vol dire ch'j cantan tanto?
O nuretta, la mia nuretta
j g'fan 'legria ai soldati
O madona, la mia madona
Disem che moda o da vestirme
Vestati ti rosso, vestati ti nero,
Ma le brunette stanno piu bene
O Quand l'e stai 'nt l'us de la chiesa
D'un cirighello si l'a incontrato
Bundi bungiur, an vui vedovella!
o no no no, che non son vedovella: (bis)
'go 'l fante 'n cuna e 'l marito in guerra
0 si si si, che vui sei vedovella,
Vostro mari l'e trei di che 'l fa terra
O tera o tera aprati 'n quatro
Volio vedere il mio cuor reale!
La tua boca la sa di rose
'nvece la mi la sa di terra
King Gilardin has gone to war
Gone to war with his sword
Then, in the middle of it all,
King Gilardin is wounded
King Gilardin then goes back again
To his mother, to die
Knock, knock, knock, he hits the door
Oh my mother, I am dead
Don't knock so hard, my son,
Your wife is having a little baby
Oh mother-in-law, mother-in-law,
Why are they knocking so hard?
Oh daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law,
It is the festivities for your child
Oh mother-in-law, mother-in-law,
Why are they singing so much?
Oh daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law,
They are making a feast for the soldiers
Oh mother-in-law, mother-in-law,
Tell me how I should dress
Dress in red, dress in black
But the black would be more appropriate.
When the daughter-in-law is on the threshold
of the church, she meets a young priest who
says: "Good morning, young widow."
Oh no no no, I am not a widow
I have a baby, and a husband in the war.
Oh yes, you certainly are a widow,
Your husb,nd is in the ground three days, now.
Oh earth, earth, open up
That I may see my true love!
Your mouth tastes like roses
But mine tastes of clay.