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Bernardinu

a corsican paghjella

Corsica is an Island in the Mediterranean Sea and a territory of France. Corsica is just north of the Italian island of Sardinia. Corsica has a vast and rich tradition of both folkloric and sacred polyphonic singing. Traditional Corsican music is extremely ornamental, lyrical, and intricate and is typically sung by three voices in a trio or with two voices singing ornamental alternating melodies over several voices singing a bass drone. The basic three-part structure consists of: a segunda - a middle part that typically leads the others and sings the main melody; a tertza - a higher part that alternates / shares the melody and harmonizes with the segunda; and the bassu part, which anchors the song with usually just a couple of notes in a drone.  If you'd like to learn more about Corsican folk music, this site gives a good, slightly more thorough overview for further reading.

Bernardinu is a paghjella, or 3-part traditional folk song, brought to us by Ember's UK leader Deva O'Neill of Norfolk. 

Lyrics:
 

Si ne parte Bernardi-inu

Va luntanu e... ci'abbandona

Cusi resta scunsulata

Bernardi la mio persona.

Cumu fera la campana

a suna se... enza curona.

 

Translation:

 

He is gone, Bernardinu, gone far away, abandoning us

I stay here, inconsolable; Bernardinu, my man!

Like a campanile, how can I sound with no bell!

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Full SongBernardinu
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SegundaBernardinu
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TertzaBernardinu
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BassuBernardinu
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Segunda KaraokeBernardinu
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Tertza KaraokeBernardinu
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Bassu KaraokeBernardinu
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PronunciationBernardinu
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