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Bionda, bella bionda  
(Blonde, Pretty Blonde)
Traditional from Piedmont.
This narrative song known in the early 19th century was spread in the whole northern Italy, specially in the Padua-Venice area, during the First World War. Although seeming the most disseminated among the contemporary versions, the very short following one lost part of its meaning.
| 1st verse |
Quando ero piccina, piccina,
Mio papà mi portav’a giocar,
Mi diceva : « Marietta, vien grande, » (twice)
Quando ero piccina, piccina,
Mio papà mi portav’a giocar,
Mi diceva : « Marietta, vien grande,
Che ti voglio maridar (1). » | | When I was a little girl, little girl,
My dad would take me to play,
He would say: “Little Mary, grow up,” (twice)
When I was a little girl, little girl,
My dad would take me to play,
He would say: “Mary, grow up,
For I want you to get married.” |
Chorus |
Bionda, bella bionda,
O biondinella d’amor. (twice) | | Blonde, pretty blonde,
O little fair-haired girl of love. (twice) |
2nd verse |
Grandicella io son divenuta.
All’età di sedici anni,
Ho’na figlia che chiama già mamma, (twice)
Grandicella io son divenuta.
All’età di sedici anni,
Ho’na figlia che chiama già mamma,
Ma non ho mai più visto il papà. | | A big girl I became.
At sixteen years of age,
I have a daughter who already call mum, (twice)
A big girl I became.
At sixteen years of age,
I have a daughter who already call mum,
But I have never seen the dad. |
Older versions appeared in Piedmont and in Lombardy, with the theme of the father soldier in Francia a servir l’imperator (“in France to serve the emperor”), among which the one (without chorus) collected by Franco Castelli, Emilio Jona, Alberto Lovatto.
| 1st verse |
Quando ero piccina, piccina,
’ndava in braccio da mio papà.
Mi diceva : « Marietta, vien granda, » (twice)
Quando ero piccina, piccina,
’ndava in braccio da mio papà.
Mi diceva : « Marietta, vien granda,
Che ti voglio vederti sposà. » | | When I was a little girl, little girl,
I went in the arms of my dad.
He would say: “Little Mary, grow up,” (twice)
When I was a little girl, little girl,
I went in the arms of my dad.
He would say: “Mary, grow up,
For I want to see you get married.” |
2nd verse |
Grandicella son venuta.
All’età di quindici anni,
Ho una figlia che chiama mamma (twice)
Grandicella son venuta.
All’età di quindici anni,
Ho una figlia che chiama mamma
E non sa chi sia il papà. | | A big girl I became.
At fifteen years of age,
I have a daughter who call mum (twice)
A big girl I became.
At fifteen years of age,
I have a daughter who call mum
And don’t know who is the dad. |
3rd verse |
Il papà son andato in guerra,
Chi sa quando ritornerà ?
Ritornerà questa primavera (twice)
Il papà son andato in guerra,
Chi sa quando ritornerà ?
Ritornerà questa primavera
Con la spada insanguinà. | | The father is gone to war,
Who knows when he will come back?
He will come back this spring (twice)
The father is gone to war,
Who knows when he will come back?
He will come back this spring
With the sword soaked with blood. |
4th verse |
Mariettina a la finestra,
Con la penna e il calamaio,
La ghe scrive ’na letterina (twice)
Mariettina a la finestra,
Con la penna e il calamaio,
La ghe scrive ’na letterina
Al suo primo soldatin. | | Mary at the windows,
With the quill-pen and the inkpot,
She writes him a letter (twice)
Mary at the windows,
With the quill-pen and the inkpot,
She writes him a letter
To her first soldier. |
5th verse |
Lora lui ci scrive un’altra
Che non sa badar la gente :
« Quando torno dal reggimento... » (twice)
Lora lui ci scrive un’altra
Che non sa badar la gente :
« Quando torno dal reggimento,
Mariettina, ti voglio sposar. » | | Then he writes her an other
Which doesn’t know how to have his kind [Mary] wait:
“When I’ll come back from regiment...” (twice)
Then he writes her an other
Which doesn’t know how to have his kind [Mary] wait:
“When I’ll come back from regiment,
Mary, I want to marry you.” |
1. Ti voglio maridar means both “I want to give you in marriage (to somebody)” and “I want to marry with you”.
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