Text & Translation
Core 'ngrato
Italian source:
Riccardo Cordiferro
pecchè me dici
sti parole amare;
pecchè me parle
e 'o core me turmiente, Catarì?
Nun te scurdà
ca t'aggio date 'o core,
Catarì, nun te scurdà!
Catarì, Catarì, che vene
a dicere stu parlà
ca me dà spaseme?
Tu nun'nce pienze a stu dulore mio,
tu nun'nce pienze,
tu nun te ne cure.
Core, core 'ngrato,
t'aie pigliato 'a vita mia,
tutt'è passato e
nun'nce pienze cchiù!
Catarì, Catarì
tu nun o saie ca 'nfino int' 'a na chiesa
io so' trasuto e aggio priato a Dio,
Catarì
e ll'aggio ditto pure a 'o cunfessore
I' sto' a suffrì pe chella lla'!
Sto a suffrì, sto a suffrì
nun se po credere
sto' a suffrì tutte li strazie
e 'o cunfessore ch'e' persona santa
m'ha ditto: figlio mio, lassala sta', lassala sta'!
Ungrateful heart
English translation ©
Nicholas Cornforth
Catarina, Catarina,
why do say
such bitter words;
Why do you speak
and torment my heart, Catarina?
Do not forget
I gave you my heart,
Catarina do not forget!
Catarina, Catarina, what meaning
Do your words hold,
Words that leave me shuddering?
You do not think of the pain I feel,
You do not think,
You do not care.
Ungrateful, ungrateful heart
You have taken my life,
All has passed
And I am in your thoughts no more!
Catarina, Catarina
You do not know that I even went into a church
And prayed to God,
Catarina
I confessed to a priest
That I was suffering for you!
I was suffering, I was suffering
Suffering beyond words
I was suffering every punishment and pain
And the priest, a saintly man
Turned to me and said: my son, let her go, let her go!
Core 'ngrato
Italian source:
Riccardo Cordiferro
Ungrateful heart
English source:
Nicholas Cornforth
Catarì, Catarì,
Ungrateful heart
pecchè me dici
Catarina, Catarina,
sti parole amare;
why do say
pecchè me parle
such bitter words;
e 'o core me turmiente, Catarì?
Why do you speak
Nun te scurdà
and torment my heart, Catarina?
ca t'aggio date 'o core,
Do not forget
Catarì, nun te scurdà!
I gave you my heart,
Catarì, Catarì, che vene
Catarina do not forget!
a dicere stu parlà
Catarina, Catarina, what meaning
ca me dà spaseme?
Do your words hold,
Tu nun'nce pienze a stu dulore mio,
Words that leave me shuddering?
tu nun'nce pienze,
You do not think of the pain I feel,
tu nun te ne cure.
You do not think,
Core, core 'ngrato,
You do not care.
t'aie pigliato 'a vita mia,
Ungrateful, ungrateful heart
tutt'è passato e
You have taken my life,
nun'nce pienze cchiù!
All has passed
Catarì, Catarì
Catarina, Catarina
tu nun o saie ca 'nfino int' 'a na chiesa
You do not know that I even went into a church
io so' trasuto e aggio priato a Dio,
And prayed to God,
Catarì
Catarina
e ll'aggio ditto pure a 'o cunfessore
I confessed to a priest
I' sto' a suffrì pe chella lla'!
That I was suffering for you!
Sto a suffrì, sto a suffrì
I was suffering, I was suffering
nun se po credere
Suffering beyond words
sto' a suffrì tutte li strazie
I was suffering every punishment and pain
e 'o cunfessore ch'e' persona santa
And the priest, a saintly man
m'ha ditto: figlio mio, lassala sta', lassala sta'!
Turned to me and said: my son, let her go, let her go!
Composer
Salvatore Cardillo
Salvatore Cardillo (1874 – 1947) was an Italian-American composer. Born in Naples, he studied piano and composition in Italy before emigrating in 1903 to the United States as a university graduate.
Poet
Riccardo Cordiferro
Riccardo Cordiferro, (pseudonym - Alessandro Sisca), was an Italian/American writer, poet and lyricist. He is most well-known for his authorship of the verses of Core 'ngrato, one of the milestones of the Neapolitan song.