Ninco Nanco [English translation]

In life, Ninco Nanco 1 will be a thorn in the side

In death, Ninco Nanco will be a thorn in the heart.

In life, Ninco Nanco will be a thorn in the side

In death, Ninco Nanco will be a thorn in the heart.

1859, the old Borbon king2 dies,

and his 23 years old son3, still a boy, takes the throne.

Now it's the time to take advantage of this power vacuum

in that kingdom in the middle of the sea, guarded only by Sirens.

And Naples' Bank is perfect to make up for the expenses,

to rectify the deficit of Piedmont's finances.

And Ninco Nanco has to die, because that's how the story must go,

Southern Italy is a land of conquest and Ninco Nanco cannot be there,

and Ninco Nanco has to die, because if he lives, he could talk,

and if he talked, he could say something Southern.

In life, Ninco Nanco will be a thorn in the side

In death, Ninco Nanco will be a thorn in the heart.

In life, Ninco Nanco will be a thorn in the side

In death, Ninco Nanco will be a thorn in the heart.

And so, Sicily's sulfur, Castellammare's worksites,

silk factories, and Gaeta to bomb4.

The ideal moves the war, a declared war,

to sea who takes the lead: the rifle or the tammurriata5 tambourines.

And tammurriata means superstition, this story has to end,

here we make Italy or we die 6, and Ninco Nanco has to die.

And Ninco Nanco has to die, because that's how the story must go,

Southern Italy is a land of Conquest and Ninco Nanco cannot be there,

and Ninco Nanco has to die, because if he lives, he could talk,

and if he talked, he could say something Southern.

In life, Ninco Nanco will be a thorn in the side

In death, Ninco Nanco will be a thorn in the heart.

In life, Ninco Nanco will be a thorn in the side

In death, Ninco Nanco will be a thorn in the heart.

And to put an end to Brigantism and put a start to emigration,

courage must be killed, and Ninco Nanco, it's best if he dies.

Because he was born a hayseed, and to kill him is not a crime,

so after shooting him, they took a photo, too.

His soul is already far away, but on his face a smile remains,

a brigand's last defiance: "It is such a beautiful death, to be killed" 7.

And Ninco Nanco has to die, because that's how the story must go,

Southern Italy is a land of conquest and Ninco Nanco cannot be there,

and Ninco Nanco has to die, because if he lives, he could talk,

and if he talked, he could say something Southern.

Ninco Nanco must be eliminated, and who cares if he dies:

on his grave there is no flower, on his grave there's no one praying.

Ninco Nanco must be eliminated, let his name never be uttered anymore,

let his story be cursed, let this song be curse.

In life, Ninco Nanco will be a thorn in the side

In death, Ninco Nanco will be a thorn in the heart.

In life, Ninco Nanco will be a thorn in the side

In death, Ninco Nanco will be a thorn in the heart.

In life, Ninco Nanco will be a thorn in the side

In death, Ninco Nanco will be a thorn in the heart.

and Ninco Nanco has to die, because if he lives, he could talk,

and if he talked, he could say something Southern.

1. Giuseppe Nicola Summa, known as Ninco Nanco (April 12, 1833 – March 13, 1864), was an Italian brigand. One of the most important brigands after the Italian unification, he was known for his brilliant guerrilla warfare and for his brutality against his enemies. (wikipedia)2. Ferdinand II, King of the Two Sicilies3. Francis II, the last King of the Two Sicilies4. The Siege of Gaeta (1860), between Rome and Naples, was the concluding event of the war between Piedmont and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies5. A rhythmic folkdance popular in Southern Italy, similar to tarantella6. A famous quotation, supposedly said by General Giuseppe Garibaldi in reference to his campaign against the Borbons7. "Quant'è bello lu murire acciso" is a verse taken from an anonymous quartina from the 19th century, possibly written by a brigand. In 1975 it was used as the title of a song by Roberto De Simone and a historical movie by Ennio Lorenzini.