Look Who it Was Random video

Burying Adelaide NY,NY - June 5th 2009

734 views · Published 6 June 2009 · 8:10 · Indexed 8 November 2026

Channel: Norah Dooley · 2009 · People & Blogs

Watch on YouTube

This video has 'Torna Surriento as its sound track - the vocal is sung in the Napolitan' dialect "la propria lingua della famiglia DiBrizzi" Natalie MacMaster and Annalisa Martinisi - perform in my Irish/Italian mash up of this song of longing and love. Aunty Vera used to sing it all the time.

We waked and drank and sang until late on Thursday night. And then were up at 6AM to take Adelaide's ashes to NY, NY to buried with Raymond. My father was very responsible and took care business for his 5 orphaned siblings and he bought a plot in Queens when he was only 26, prepared to bury his older brother and make a space for whomever needed it. Cathy found a favorite "Ming " vase of my mother's and with friend transformed it into an urn. Cathy was running late and we missed the Acela and she decide to give ADD's ashes a short tour of Boston and we got on a later train. ( I think somebody put the mal' occhio on Robert and my rolling transport no?)  We had to be at the cemetery by 1:30PM so were cutting it close. Once on the train the car CTD and I were sitting in sprung a leak. Then the taxi we got ( at noonish , in front of Penn Station - amazing we got one at all! ) We got in and  the driver said he  did not know Queens at all - "Only Manhattan and Brooklyn" Amazingly enough, with help from Michael on cell phone, we got there on time. We filled out paper work and met our 1st cousins for the first time 26 years  and proceeded with them to the chapel. A priest did a very standard funeral rite and  "bobitty bing boppity boom" they were ready to shooo us out. We told them to chill for a minute- we were not in any rush to close out 81 years and change. And we sat with ashes for a bit then went out to see the grave site. We had wanted a grave side burial but they would not allow it -"too wet" they said. Oy. 

Afterwards our cousins drove us into the city where we taken to Rocco's,  an excellent place to have coffee, cannolis and conversation. It was so wonderful to talk and listen and learn about our family. WE missed the last train back and after day of  train, taxi, car and bus rides  we rolled into bed around 2AM.


This video had 'Torna Surriento as its sound track - the vocal is sung in the Napolitan' dialect  "la propria liingua della la famiglia DiBrizzi" Natalie MacMaster and  Annalisa Martinisi - perform in my Irish/Italian mash up of this song of longing and love. Aunty Vera used to sing it all the time.

lyrics 'Torna Surriento ( return to Sorriento)
Vide 'o mare quantè bello,
Spira tantu sentimento,
Comme tu a chi tiene mente,
Ca scetato 'o faie sunnà.

Guarda, gua, chistu ciardino;
Siente, sie sti sciure arance:
Nu profumo accussi fino
Dinto 'o core se ne va

E tu dice: "I parto, addio!"
Talluntane da stu core
Da sta terra de lammore
Tiene 'o core 'e nun turnà?

Ma nun me lassà,
Nun darme stu turmiento!
Torna a Surriento,
famme campà!

Vide 'o mare de Surriento,
che tesoro tene nfunno:
chi ha girato tutto 'o munno
nun l'ha visto comm'a ccà.

Guarda attuorno sti Sserene,
ca te guardano 'ncantate,
e te vonno tantu bene...
Te vulessero vasà.

E tu dice: "I' parto, addio!"
T'alluntane da stu core
Da sta terra de l'ammore
Tiene 'o core 'e nun turnà?

Ma nun me lassà,
Nun darme stu turmiento!
Torna a Surriento,
Famme campà!

More from this channel