Luna mezz'o mare sheet music for Cello

"Luna mezz'o mare" ("Moon amid the sea") is a comic Neapolitan song with worldwide popularity, traditionally styled as a brisk 6/8 tarantella, based on an earlier version from Sicily. The song portrays a mother-daughter "coming of age" exchange consisting of various comic, and sometimes sexual, innuendos. It is frequently performed at Italian-American wedding receptions and other festive occasions, and was featured at the start of the first Godfather film.


C'e la luna mezz'o mare
Mamma mia me maritari,
Figghia mia, a cu te dari
Mamma mia pensaci tu. O Mamma, piscia fritta baccala O Mamma piscia fritta baccala.

Si ci dugnu lu babberi (barber)
Iddu va, Iddu veni
'u rasolu manu teni. (razor)
Si ci pigghia la fantasia
Mi rasulia la figghia mia.

Chorus (O Mamma..)

Si ci dugnu falignami (woodmaker)
Iddu va, iddu veni
'u chianuzzu manu teni. (plane)
Si ci pigghia la fantasia
Mi chiannuzulia la figghia mia.

Chorus (O Mamma...)

Si ci dugnu lu scapparu (shoemaker)
Iddu va, iddu veni
'u matteddu manu teni. (hammer)
Si ci pigghia la fantasia
Mi matteddia la figghia mia.

Chorus (O Mamma...)

Si ci dugnu zuppunaro (farmer)
Iddu va, iddu veni
'u zappuni manu teni. (plow)
Si ci pigghia la fantasia
Mi zappunia la figghia mia.

Chorus (O Mamma...)

Si ci dugnu macillaiu (butcher)
Iddu va, iddu veni
La sasizza manu teni. (sausage)
Si ci pigghia la fantasia
Mi sasizzia la figghia mia.

Chorus (O Mamma...)

Si ci dugnu piscialiolu (fisherman)
Iddu va, iddu veni
E lu pisci manu teni. (fish)
Si ci pigghia la fantasia
Mi pisciulia la figghia mia.
Chorus...

Approximate translation:

There's a moon amid the sea:
Mother must I get married?
My daughter, who should I get for you?
Mother I leave it up to you.

If I give You The Barber
He will come and he will go,
But he'll always hold his razor in his hands...
If he likes the idea
He'll razor you oh my daughter.

Oh mama, pisce fritte bacala!
Oh mama, pisce fritte bacala!
My daughter, who do I get for you?
Mother I leave it up to you.

If I give you the carpenter
He will come and he will go,
But he'll always hold his plane in his hands...
If he likes the idea
he'll plane you oh my daughter.

Oh mama, pisce fritte bacala!
Oh mama, pisce fritte bacala!
My daughter, who do I get for you?
Mother I leave it up to you.

If I give you the shoemaker
He will come and he will go,
But he'll always hold his hammer in his hands...
If he likes the idea
He'll hammer you oh my daughter.

Oh Mama, pisce fritte bacala!
Oh Mama, pisce fritte bacala!
My daughter, who do I get for you?
Mother I leave it up to you.

If I give you the farmer
He will come and he will go,
But he'll always hold his plough in his hands...
If he likes the idea
He'll plough you Oh my daughter.

Oh Mama, pisce fritte bacala!
Oh Mama, pisce fritte bacala!
My daughter, who do I get for you?
Mother I leave it up to you.

If I give you the butcher
He will come and he will go,
But he'll always hold his sausage in his hands...
If he likes the idea
He'll sausage you oh my daughter.

Oh mama, pisce fritte bacala!
Oh mama, pisce fritte bacala!
My daughter, who do I get for you?
Mother I leave it up to you.

If I give you the fisherman
He will come and he will go,
But he'll always hold his fish in his hands...
If he likes the idea
He'll fish you oh my daughter.

Oh mama, pisce fritte bacala!
Oh mama, pisce fritte bacala!
My daughter, who do I get for you?
Mother I leave it up to you.

If I give you the gardener
He will come and he will go,
But he'll always hold his cucumber in his hands...
If he likes the idea
He'll cucumber you oh my daughter.