Lu Pecurere from Cantadora by Kristine Barrett
Lu Pecurére (The Shepard), traditional, Italian; from Apricena in the Foggio Provence of Puglia, southeastern Italy. I learned this song from the recording by Matteo Salvatore, ‘Lamenti di Mendicant (Italian Beggar Songs). Matteo Salvatore (b1925-d2005) was a composer and singer of popular Italian music in addition to interpreting and performing traditional songs from the Gargano region (northern Puglia). As the story goes, Salvatore was born into poverty (much of his home region was afflicted with poverty after WWI) when at the age of seven, he was befriended by a blind street musician who taught him some one hundred and fifty songs over the course of twelve years. Thus, the tradition of passing these songs down from father to son survived into the middle part of the last century.
Tracklist
| 2. | Lu Pecurere | 4:05 |
Lyrics
Lu pecurére pè li Murgje vaja
a ppasculá li pècore sólo sólo,
lassá la nnammeréta a llu pajése
e sse la strégna aspètte a llu ritorna.
Ój nnamuréta mia, tu sta maléta
e prego io pe tte ca te guarisce.
Cammine e ssò arrivéto a llu Garghéno
e trovo nna cappèlla e ttréscje dinte,
dicevano la messa a la Madonna
tutte li fréte ngjuncchjéte ntèrra.
Fretè guardjéne mio appiccja la lampa
appiccjamè la lampa tutte le ssére.
“The shepherd goes by the Murge and left his sheep to graze all alone. He left his beloved in the country and waits for her kiss when he returns. O my beloved, you are ailing, and I pray God to heal you. I arrived by foot at the Gargano and I find a chapel and I enter there. They said a mass to the Madonna all the monks kneeling on the ground. Oh brother, my protector, light a candle, light a candle for me every evening.”
Credits
License
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Kristine Barrett is an artist, composer, and vocalist specializing in experimental traditional music and ritual song from Eastern Europe, the Republic of Georgia, Scandinavia, the Baltics, Ireland, and the Americas.