O mia bela Madunina

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"O mia bela Madunina" ("My beautiful Madunina")
The Madunina
Written by	Giovanni d'Anzi
Written	1934
Language	Milanese

O mia bela Madunina (My beautiful little Madonna) is a song by Giovanni D'Anzi which is an unofficial city anthem of Milan.^{[citation needed]}

The title refers to the golden statue of the Virgin Mary on the spire of Milan Cathedral visible all over the city, namely the Madonnina (Madunina in Milanese dialect).

The song was written and composed in 1934 by the Milan songwriter Giovanni D'Anzi (1906–1974). In the 1930s, many immigrants from the Mezzogiorno, especially from the region of Naples, came to Milan bringing with them their famous Neapolitan songs such as O sole mio. D'Anzi thus decided to create a musical answer from Milan. The song became almost immediately a hit in the city and topped in 1938 the Italian hit parade.

The lyrics give some praise to the Neapolitan music but add that Milan too deserves a mention; they address the Madonna under whose domination Milan is vibrant with life and always busy (pointed remark referring to the reputation of the southerners which were regarded as lazy by the Milanese). The text ends with an offer to shake hands because it is a small world, after all, but the closing verse ma Milan, l'è on gran Milan! ("but Milan is a great Milan!") reaffirms the Milanese pride.

Lyrics

A disen la cansun la nass a Napoli,

e certamen g'han minga tutti i tort.

Surriento, Margellina tutt'i popoli

i avran cantà almé un milliun de volt.

Mi speri che se offenderà nissun

se parlom un cicin anca de num.

O mia bela Madunina, che te brillet de luntan,

tuta d'ora e picinina, ti te dominet Milan,

sota a ti se viv la vita, se sta mai cui man in man.

Canten tutt "luntan de Napoli se moeur",

ma po' i vegnen chi a Milan.

Ades ghè la cansun de Roma magica,

de Nina, er Cupolone e Rugantin;

se sbaten in del Tever, roba tragica,

esageren, me par, un cicinin.

Sperem che vegna minga la mania

de metes a cantà "Malano mia".

O mia bela Madunina, che te brillet de luntan,

tuta d'ora e picinina, ti te dominet Milan.

Sota a ti se viv la vita, se sta mai cui man in man.

Canten tutt "luntan de Napoli se moeur",

ma po' i vegnen chi a Milan.

Si vegnì sensa paura, num ves lungarem la man.

Tutt el mond a l'è paes, e semm d'accord,

ma Milan, l'è on gran Milan!

English translation

They say music comes from Naples,

and they certainly ain't wrong,

Surriento, Mergellina, every country

has sung at least a million times,

I hope it won't offend anybody,

if we sing a little about ourselves...

chorus:

Oh my beautiful Madonnina,

you shine from far away,

you're golden and tiny,

you rule over Milan,

at your feet life goes fast,

no one wastes his time,

everybody sings "far away from Naples you die"

but nevertheless they come to Milan.

Now the songs are about "magic Rome",

about Nina, St. Peter's Basilica's dome and Rugantino,

about people suiciding in the Tiber and tragic stories,

aren't we exaggerating a bit?

I hope the next craze,

won't be singing "Malano mia"!^[1]

chorus---

So, come, not fear ...

we'll give you a hand

people are the same, the whole world over,

but Milan is a Great Milan.

Footnotes

1. ^ Neapolitan dialect for "Oh My Milan")

Sources

• Giovanni D'Anzi, Le canzoni milanesi, Curci, Milano 1961