"Santa Lucia" is a traditional Neapolitan song. It was translated by Teodoro Cottrau (1827–1879) into Italian and published by the Cottrau firm, as a barcarola, in Naples in 1849. Cottrau translated it from Neapolitan into Italian 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.

Lyrics

Neapolitan lyrics

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! (Repeated twice) La tènna è posta pe' fa' 'na cena; e quanno stace la panza chiena non c'è la mínema melanconia. Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia! (Repeated twice) Pozzo accostare la varca mia Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Italian lyrics

English lyrics

Now 'neath the silver moon Ocean is glowing, O'er the calm billows, soft winds are blowing. Here balmy breezes blow, pure joys invite us, And as we gently row, all things delight us. Chorus: Hark, how the sailor's cry joyously echoes nigh: Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia! Home of fair Poesy, realm of pure harmony, Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia! When o'er the waters light winds are playing, Thy spell can soothe us, all care allaying. To thee sweet Napoli, what charms are given, Where smiles creation, toil blest by heaven.

Versions

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, the anthem of Silpakorn University, borrowed the turn of Santa Lucia; the founder of the university, Silpa Bhirasri, was Italian.

Performances