P’ Agerola saglienno d’ ‘a Custiera,
‘nfilata ‘int’ ‘a Balilla, dolce Amore,
te porto ‘na dummeneca a Furore.
Paesiello ‘e monte, appiso ‘ncopp’ ‘o mare,
llà ‘nce sta Bacco, ‘nu guappo trattore,
‘na loggia scicca, ch’ è ‘nu belvedere
e ‘o proprietario, n’ommo tutte core.
Affabile, aggarbato e cu’ manere
pronto a te fa’ accoglienza, accussì caro,
bussa cchiù all’amicizia ca a denaro,
ca si ‘o canusce pruove gran piacere!
‘Na tavulata sott’ ‘o pergulato,
‘na cumitiva ‘e curazzone allere,
brinneso alla salute, via ‘e penziere!
Cu’ ‘o vino cchiù preziuso e prelibato,
fritture ‘e pesce frisco, ‘e calamare,
‘nu piatto ‘e vermecielle ca par’ oro,
e pe’ tramente magne e guarde ‘o mare.
Ncopp’ a ‘na fisarmonica sfiatata
‘nu viecchio ancora arzillo e pazziariello
te sona ‘o sole mio, marenariello,
fenesta vascia e dove sta Zazà.
Po’ sazio e soddisfatto vide a Bacco,
cu’ ‘a cuppulella ‘ncapa e ‘a pippa ‘mmocca,
‘o pullovero, ‘e mmane dint’ ‘a sacca…
Don Rafe’, chistu cunto v’ ‘o pagh’ io,
‘o vvulite sape’: “Site ‘nu Dio!”
Actor and playwright (Castellammare di Stabia 1888 - Naples 1950) He had a very troubled childhood and youth, having to fight hard for his life and, at the same time, to assert his artistic personality. Until World War I he worked in café-concerts and variety shows as a macchiettista and song teller, creating a series of characters taken from popular Neapolitan life. In 1918 he performed a one-act play of his own, 'O vico, with very happy results, and from then on he formed his own Neapolitan company, of which his sister Luisella was the leading actress. For this company he wrote a whole particular repertoire, of which several plays of strong and authentic drama are remembered: Zingari, Piscature, Circo Sgueglia, Fatto 'e cronaca, Morte di Carnevale, Guappo 'e cartone, Padroni di barche, etc. He ceased acting in 1939. He also wrote an autobiography, Dalla vita alla scena (1928), and Tavolozza (1929), a collection of lyrics and poems. n His son Vittorio (Naples 1914 - ivi 1978) also carried out extensive activity in the theatrical field as director, librettist (particularly for I. Napoli), and adapter of ancient texts; his Storia del teatro napoletano (1970) and the edition he edited of I libretti di Rossini (2 vols., 1965) have been successful. Source Treccani.it
