Bambino (Corsican Lullaby)

Bambino in his cradle slept;
   And by his side his grandam grim
Bent down and smiled upon the child,
   And sung this lullaby to him,--
               This 'ninna and anninia':

'When thou art older, thou shalt mind
   To traverse countries far and wide,
And thou shalt go where roses blow
   And balmy waters singing glide--
               So ninna and anninia!

'And thou shalt wear, trimmed up in points,
   A famous jacket edged in red,
And, more than that, a peakèd hat,
   All decked in gold, upon thy head--
               Ah! ninna and anninia!

'Then shalt thou carry gun and knife,
   Nor shall the soldiers bully thee;
Perchance, beset by wrong or debt,
   A mighty bandit thou shalt be--
               So ninna and anninia!

'No woman yet of our proud race
   Lived to her fourteenth year unwed;
The brazen churl that eyed a girl
   Bought her the ring or paid his head--
               So ninna and anninia!

'But once came spies (I know the thieves!)
   And brought disaster to our race;
God heard us when our fifteen men
   Were hanged within the market-place--
               But ninna and anninia!

'Good men they were, my babe, and true,--
   Right worthy fellows all, and strong;
Live thou and be for them and me
   Avenger of that deadly wrong--
               So ninna and anninia!'