The lamentation of EIGHT POOR DAUGHTERS who are gathered together and work together in a cotton factory. But, they sigh and grieve because they can’t find a husband

Rosina’s Lamentation
Oh poor Rosina!
I am so unconsolable
because I was born
under an unlucky star.
I was promised
to the young Carlino,
but in the end
he had to leave me..
He was a good young man,
handsome and gracious.
I thought
he was going to be my husband.
But when the time came
it was so sorrowful.
Carlino had to leave for the army,
and I am left here suffering.
He left to serve in the military,
and I am left alone in torment.
Now I will
for sure suspect
that my Carlino
will die in war.
I am now here alone.
I want to find a husband,
but no suitor
ever comes to me.
Years go by
and everything will end.
It takes patience
to wait like this.
If I don’t find a husband
I will need patience.
I will stay here to suffer
and to repent.
But I hope, that thanks to
so much diligence,
somebody old, hunchbacked or crooked
will marry me.
THE END

Teresa’s Lamentation
Oh poor Teresa!
I feel a lot of pain.
I won’t for sure
be loved anymore.
My blood is boiling
inside my veins,
the cause being
the young Peppin.
He was a handsome boy,
white as a flower.
Every night
he would come to show love to me.
Now I found out
with deep grief
that the handsome Peppino
wants to abandon me.
When I think
of the love that I gave him,
and that he left me
without a reason,
my heart
is so profoundly hurt
that I don’t want
to drink, nor eat.
Even at night
I have to suffer when
I go to bed.
I can’t sleep,
and in every moment
I think I see
the beautiful appearance
of the young Peppin.
He is a barbarian, ungrateful,
and had a deceitful heart.
He deceived me,
and pretended to love me.
I thought he was
a young man with a good heart.
I trusted him too much
and Peppino betrayed me.
THE END

Maddalena’s Lamentation
Let me,
poor Maddalena,
tell you what happened to me.
It was a real deception.
I was promised
to the young man Paolinetto,
and in three days
I thought I would have said “yes”.
I was waiting
and I was ready,
and I thought I would see
that blessed moment.
An old lady arrived
with a wicked tongue
and ruined my reputation
and Paolo left me.
He was a handsome young man
with a white face.
Just by looking at him
I could enjoy heaven.
He had such
a wonderful, sweet smile
that just by looking at him
I could fall in love.
I thought
he was going to be my husband.
But, because of  backbiters
he left me.
If I find a place,
I want to leave
and become a servant
and stay there.
Poor Maddalena,
how am I going to stay there
without a husband?
I won’t be able to.
I will suffer great pain,
day and night.
I will pine with passion.
THE END

Carlotta’s Lamentation
Poor Carlotta,
I am saddened
because I feel
passion in my heart.
Those who don’t know
the anguish of love,
don’t know
what pain is.
I am already twenty years old
and I want to get married,
but no young man
ever comes to visit me.
I really want to find a companion.
I don’t want to be
without a husband.
Yesterday morning
I was listening to Mass,
but I was thinking of love in my thoughts
in the church itself.
I saw a handsome young man,
so filled with beauty,
that I was
comforted.
I pretended
to read in the hymn book,
and occasionally
I looked at the young man.
He was a handsome young man,
so good-looking,
that only by looking at him
I felt joy in my heart.
I was kneeling down
while hearing the Mass,
and by looking at the young man
I was comforted.
Then in a moment
the Mass ended,
and I didn’t see
that beautiful face anymore.
THE END
 

Marietta’s Lamentation

Poor me,
I am thirty-one years old
and I have lost the hope
of finding a husband.
Even if I try hard,
with all my strength,
I don’t think
I will ever find a husband.
And yet, I am beautiful,
and I love to take care of myself.
I always try to wear
the latest in fashion,
but even by doing all this
I can’t get a young man
to fall in love with me.
I am a strong woman,
and I am a hard worker.
I can weave well,
and I sew and embroider.
I go in the country,
and I can hoe well
with my own hands.
I can do any job.
I can spin the twisting bobbin,
and I can make socks.
I work with cotton
and I can spin and tack.
I have so many skills,
and many great talents,
but I can’t find a young man
that wants to marry me.
Ah! If I could only find
a good husband,
I would forever keep him
loved and revered.
And every time
that he wants to be served,
I would be ready
to do his will.
THE END

Margherita’s lamentation
I think of the past times
I was loved.
Seven young men,
very handsome and very esteemed,
used to come every day
to show love to me.
Checco came,
and then came Giuseppino,
then came Antonio,
Battista, and Natalino,
then came Carlo,
and also Costantino.
And, I used to show love
to all seven.
I stayed home
happy night and day.
I was always
surrounded by my lovers.
I enjoyed a good time,
a temple of bliss,
of joy and pleasure.
But, my easy living
is over.
My lovers
abandoned me.
Now everybody
shames me.
I have lost my lovers,
and I have lost my reputation.
Now because of all this,
I have to be patient.
I have to be without a husband
and truly repent.
Even if I work hard
with all my astuteness,
I don’t think
I will find a husband.
THE END

Giulietta’s Lamentation
Poor me,
I am here suffering.
I would get married
but I can’t find a husband.
I am getting old,
and lack of love makes me suffer.
I am losing the desire
to drink and eat.
Thursday morning
I was at the window,
and I saw
the young Tonino
walking by.
He had such a
charming face,
that I was happy
to gaze at him.
I was looking at him
with my pitiful eye,
but I wished
I could have him as my husband.
He was walking
with a fast pace
and only had one look.
If he had only
looked up at me,
I would have invited him in
to keep me company.
I could have spent
a day of gaiety
together with Tonino,
with joy and pleasure.
But I know what I will do
from now on.
I will wear fashionable clothes
to be admired.
If I can achieve my goal,
and get married
with my dear spouse by my side,
I will be happy.
THE END

Delaidina
Dear girlfriends
all gathered here.
You are grieving
because you haven’t found a husband.
But, in one way
you will be comforted,
because getting married
comes with affliction.
During the first days
a woman feels happy,
but shortly after that
she feels agony.
When she wants
to have a great joy,
the married woman
instead has to suffer.
I would also be happy
to get married.
I would like to have a young man
to be able to boss around,
someone that was rich and handsome,
a man that would let me do
everything that I want,
and however I want to.
Instead of finding a husband
and then suffering pain,
it’s better to be alone
and suffocate love.
So, a daughter
who thinks this way
won’t have a lot of troubles,
and she can enjoy her freedom.
Daughters, sisters of mine,
I want to encourage you
to always be happy,
and don’t be sad,
because someday
you could find
a good candidate
that will console you.

THE END

Literary  property of Andrea Cereghino and his children.

Translated by:
Stefania Dolce, a native Italian that was attending Brigham Young University in Provo, UT.  She has now returned to Italy.