Monday, June 5, 2017

Italian Nursery Rhyme

Having run into a roadblock while researching my mother's side of the family, I realized the genealogy is traced through our food. I've been working on an idea to use the recipes in an art journal. While thinking about the project, I realized the recipes aren't enough. While all the women in the family cooked the same food, certain women were associated with a certain recipe that was hers. I also realized the recipes weren't enough to form a history. There were stories about these women, and the men, too.

Book title: Djooeet?


I've been making notes in a pamphlet book I made. Writing down the recipes and also a story or two, or a memory I have. Things like Grandma (Ma's mother) teaching me how to count in Italian and write the numbers in Roman numerals.

While all this was churning in my head, I remembered an Italian nursery rhyme that I thought my grandma had taught us but realized it was my mother who had taught us the rhyme. I don't really speak Italian. A word or two, here and there, and most not to be used in polite company.
(-; So hunting around on the Interwebs, I found the rhyme!



Cicirinella tenava nu cane
Si mangian' li cristian.
Si Mangian' li donne bell'
Chist'e u cane di Cicirenalla.

Cicirinella had a dog
He bit (ate) all the people (though when I was little, I thought this meant Cici's dog at Christians. Cici was too poor to own a lion.)
He bit (ate)  pretty ladies
This is the dog of Cicirenella.

Another rhyme that teased at the edges of my memory was Cicirinella had a broom. All I can remember is:

Cicirinella avena una scopa
Something something
Scola, scola

Cicirinella had a broom. The Brother could only remember the rhyme about the dog, and my cousin, M, never heard the rhyme.

What I found is Cicirenella is really a song, sung as a tarentella. There were lots of verses. And I though my mother had told me Cici was a girl, I thought her name translated to Little Chickpea as we called chickpeas Ceci. The translation was Little Pea, but she turned out to be a he.

No matter. Tomato. Tomahto.

So, I need some help. If you know this nursery rhyme/song and you know the verse about Cicirinella and a broom, could you please let me know how it goes?

15 comments:

  1. Wish this little Irish girl could help...but alas.... Hope someone else can help you out! :D

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  2. Interesting project indeed, best wishes.

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  3. That's a great idea for a project. Love your page layout and illustrations.

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    1. This project has been rolling around in my head for awhile.

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  4. CJ.....as dumb as this sounds; look up ABE BOOKS; they have sellers from the globe on this website; {I've shopped them many many times} There may be someone who has a book of children's rhymes for sale or someone who knows more about this particular rhyme for children; many of the sellers allow you to ask questions etc..might be worth a try ♥♥

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    1. Thanks for the tip. Give a headbutt to all the Tabbies for me.

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  5. The tabbies seem to have the right idea. I have NO idea, since my ancestry is strictly British.

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  6. Can't help with the the rhyme, but love the idea of your recipe/story art journal.

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    1. I'm not sure my girlies are interested, but as I'm the family historian, I'm the last one to remember the stories.

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  7. The little book is a great idea! I think you've take an idea and helped it grow. Recipes, food, women, stories. I think you've got a great story to weave. Hugs-Erika

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    1. I just needed a place to outline the project, list the recipes, and stories I've heard about family members as well as my memories of them.

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  8. I love the idea of this art journal! I wish you all the best with the rhyme! Sorry I couldn't help!

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