O mia bela Madonina

"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 tango 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 and which is called Madonnina in Italian and Madunina in the dialect of Milan.

The song is written in the Milanese dialect of Lombardy which has no fixed spelling.

The song is to this day very popular in Milan. It is available as ringtone for the mobile phone and its lyrics can be found on the homepages of the ultras of football clubs Milan and Inter.

The song was written and composed in 1934 by the Milan songwriter Giovanni D'Anzi (1906–1974). In 1935, there were more and more immigrants from the Mezzogiorno, especially from the region of Naples, coming to Milan which naturally brought with them their famous Neapolitan songs. So it came, that the Milan singers got more and more frequently requested to sing O sole mio, which didn't touch their Lombard patriotism. And one day the Milanese songwriter D'Anzi decided this needed a musical answer from Milan and wrote the song and lyrics of la Madunina. The song became almost immediately a hit in the city and topped in 1938 the hit parade in Italy ^[1]

The song gives some praise to the Neapolitan music but continues that Milan also deserves a mention and addresses the beautiful little golden 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 Milanesi). "Everyone sings they are dying far from Naples — and then they come to Milan." It finishes on a welcoming offer to shake hands because it is a small world, after all, and adds "but Milan is a big Milan".

English translation of the song

They say music comes from Naples,

and that certainly isn'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 LITTLE BEAUTIFUL MADUNINA,

you shine from far away,

you 're golden and tiny,

you rule over Milan,

Milan is a really lively town (from your below we live our lives),

no one wastes own time,

everybody sings "far away from Naples you die"

but in spite of it 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"! (Neapolitan dialect for "Oh My Milan")

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

Sources

Book - "Le canzoni Milanesi di Giovanni D'anzi"

1. ^ Italian hit parade 1930–39.