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!"