Samba Italiano

"Samba Italiano" (Italian Samba) is a popular samba song composed in 1965 by Adoniran Barbosa (1912–1982), who was a son of Italian immigrants from Valinhos, Brazil, and knew well the pidgin Italian-Portuguese dialect spoken in the streets of São Paulo, mostly in the Mooca, Brás and Bexiga sections.

The lyrics are very funny and non-sensical, at least for those Italian-Brazilians who can understand the language (a great number of paulistas).

Lyrics
Original

Gioconda, piccina mia, Va' a brincare nel mare, nel fondo, Ma attenzione col tubarone, lo hai visto? Hai capito, mio San Benedito?

Piove, piove, Da tempo che piove qua, Gigi, E io, sempre io, Sotto la tua finestra E voi, senza me sentire Ridere, ridere, ridere Di questo infelice qui

Ti ricordi, Gioconda, Di quella sera in Guarujá Quando il mare ti portava via E mi chiamasti Aiuto, Marcello! La tua Gioconda ha paura di quest'onda

Free translation

Gioconda, my little girl Go frolicking there, deep into the sea But pay attention to the shark, did you see it? Understood, my Saint Benedict?

It rains, it rains It has rained for a long time here, Gigi And I, always I, Under your window And you, without hearing me, Laugh, laugh and laugh At this unhappy one here

Do you remember, Gioconda That afternoon in Guarujá When the sea was taking you away And you called me: Help, Marcello! Your Gioconda is afraid of this wave