SANTA LUCIA, LIGHT FROM NAPOLI TO THE WHOLE WORLD

Today is Saint Lucia. In Barcelona, traditionally, on December 13th, the nativity scene is built and it is time to go to the forest to get moss, hollyhocks, branches and cork. Since the end of the 18th century, when the construction of homemade nativity scenes began to become popular, in some towns cork, moss and branches of greenery were sold for the nativity scene, mainly in the city of Barcelona during the pre-Christmas fair of Santa Llúcia.

Lucia is a name that comes from the Latin term lux-lucis and means light. It is a very special day for The Grandma, who loves the fair of Santa Llúcia and who especially remembers the time she spent in Napoli studying and working at the Università Federico II.

Napoli is a special city that sticks in your soul and heart. A beautiful city full of history, culture, with an impressive gastronomy and, most importantly, with wonderful people who make you feel at home and who make you always take them with you wherever you go.

Close your eyes, listen to a beautiful tarantella, remember Napoli with the imposing Vesuvius and evoke every moment lived in Sorrento, Capri, Ischia, Ercolano, Pompeii, Procida... and, most importantly, miss the Neapolitan friends who are at a physical distance, but present every day in our lives.

Napoli, me si’ ‘a vita mia.

Santa Lucia is a traditional Neapolitan song. It was translated by Teodoro Cottrau (1827-1879) from Neapolitan into Italian and published by the Cottrau firm, as a barcarola, in Naples in 1849, during the first stage of the Italian unification. Significantly, it is the first Neapolitan song to be translated to Italian lyrics. Its transcriber, who is often miscredited as its composer, was the son of the French-born Italian composer and collector of songs Guillaume Louis Cottrau (1797-1847). Various sources credit A. Longo with the music, 1835.

The original lyrics of Santa Lucia celebrate the picturesque waterfront district Borgo Santa Lucia in the Gulf of Naples, with an invitation (sales pitch) from a boatman to take a ride in his boat to better enjoy the cool evening.

Comme se frícceca
la luna chiena!
lo mare ride,
ll'aria è serena...

Vuje che facite
'mmiezo a la via?
Santa Lucia,
Santa Lucia!
(Repeated twice)

Stu viento frisco
fa risciatare:
chi vo' spassarse
jenno pe mmare?

È pronta e lesta
la varca mia
Santa Lucia,
Santa Lucia!

La tènna è posta
pe' fa' 'na cena;
e quanno stace
la panza chiena

Non c'è la mínema
melanconia.
Santa Lucia,
Santa Lucia!

Perhaps the definitive 20th century recording of the song was that of Enrico Caruso, the great Neapolitan opera singer. Mario Lanza recorded this song in this album Mario Lanza sings Caruso favorites, RCA Victor LSC-2393.

In the United States, an early edition of the song, with an English translation by Thomas Oliphant, was published by M. McCaffrey, Baltimore.

In Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Norway, Santa Lucia has been given various lyrics to accommodate it to the winter-light Saint Lucy's Day, at the darkest time of the year. The three most famous lyrics versions in Swedish are Luciasången, also known by its incipit, Sankta Lucia, ljusklara hägring (Saint Lucy, bright illusion); Natten går tunga fjät (The night walks with heavy steps); and the 1970s kindergarten version, Ute är mörkt och kallt (Outside it’s dark and cold). The more common Norwegian version is Svart senker natten seg (Black the night descends), whereas the version commonly used in Denmark is titled Nu bæres lyset frem (Now light is carried forth). There also exists a Sámi version, Guhkkin Sicilias dolin lei nieida (In faraway Sicily, long ago was a girl).

In the Czech Republic (or former Czechoslovakia), it was made famous with the words Krásná je Neapol (Naples is beautiful) sung by Waldemar Matuška.

In Austria, it is famous under the title Wenn sich der Abend mild. It is sung by Austrian fraternities.

In Thailand, Silpakorn Niyom, in Thai ศิลปากรนิยม, the anthem of Silpakorn University, borrowed the turn of Santa Lucia; the founder of the university, Silpa Bhirasri, was Italian. A Thai translation of Santa Lucia (itself was adapted from Italian version) was composed in 2017 by Professor Chedha Tingsanchali of the university's faculty of Archaeology to mark Bhirasri's 125th birthday anniversary. The translated lyrics was first premiered on 15 September of that year.

More information: Naples. Life, Death & Miracles

Partono 'e bastimente pe' terre assaje luntane...
Cantano a buordo: so' Napulitane!
Cantano pe' tramente 'o golfo gia scumpare,
e 'a luna, 'a miez'o mare, nu poco 'e Napule.

The ships are leaving for far away lands.
The Neapolitans sing on board.
They sing while in the sunset the bay disappears
and the moon, above the sea lets them see
a glimpse of Naples.

E. A. Mario