"When thou wast born, thou darling one, To the holy font they bore thee soon. God-papa to thee the sun, And thy god-mamma the moon; And the baby stars that shine on high, Rock'd their gold cradles joyfully. Soft sleep now get--sleep, mother's pet, I'll sing thee _ninni nani_. "Darling of darlings--brighter the heaven, Deeper its blue as it smiled on thee; Even the stately planets seven, Brought thee presents rich and free; And the mountain shepherds all, Kept an eight-days' festival! Sweet sleep now get--sleep, mother's pet, I'll sing thee _ninni nani_. "Nothing was heard but the cithern, my beauty, Nothing but dancing on every side, In the sweet vale of Cuscioni Through the country far and wide Boccanera and Falconi Echoed with their wonted glee. Sound sleep now get--sleep, mother's pet, I'll sing thee _ninni nani_. "Darling, when thou art taller grown, Free thou shalt wander through meadows fair, Every flower shall be newly-blown, Oil shall shine 'stead of dewdrops there, And the water in the sea Changed to rarest balsam be. Soft sleep now get--sleep, mother's pet, I'll sing thee _ninni nani_. "Then the mountains shall rise before baby's eyes, All cover'd with lambs as white as snow; And the Chamois wild shall bound after the child, And the playful fawn and gentle doe; But the hawk so fierce and the fox so sly, Away from this valley far must hie. Sweet sleep now get--sleep, mother's pet, I'll sing thee _ninni nani_. "Darling--earliest blossom mine, Beauteous thou, beyond compare; In Bavella born to shine, And in Cuscioni fair, Fourfold trefoil leaf so bright, Kids would nibble--if they might! Sweet sleep now get--sleep, mother's pet, I'll sing thee _ninni nani_." Should, perhaps, the child be too much excited by such a fanciful song, the mother will sing him this little nanna, whereupon he will immediately fall asleep-- "Ninni, ninni, ninni nanna, Ninni, ninni, ninni nolu, Allegrezza di la mamma Addormentati, O figliuolu." CHAPTER IX. CORSICAN SUPERSTITIONS. In the meantime, voices from the shore had announced the arrival of the boatmen; I therefore took my leave of the pretty Benvenuta, wished her all sorts of pleasant things, and stepped into the boat. We kept always as close as possible in shore. At Porticcioli, a little town with a Dogana, we ran in to have the names of our four passengers registered. A few sailing vessels were anchored here. The ripe figs on the trees, and the beautiful grapes in the gardens, tempted us; we had half a vineyard of the finest muscatel grapes, with the most delicious figs, brought us for a few pence.