Double entendres in a 16th century Neapolitan song ("Chi la gagliarda")

Question

Here's the text of a Neapolitan song that was first published in 1551, along with what I understand from it in English:

Chi la gagliarda donna vo' imparare,    | Ladies, who wants to learn the galliard,
Venit' a nui che simo mastri fini,      | Come to us, who are shrewd masters,
[Che de ser' e de matina                | Who from evening until morning
Mai manchiamo di sonare:                | Never stop playing:
Tan tan tan tarira, tan ti ru ra.]

Provance un poco                        | Try a little bit,
ca 'nce vuoi chiamare.                  | because you'll want to scream;
A passa dieci volte che salimo.         | After ten steps, we jump.
[Che de ser' e de matina...]

Chi la gagliarda donna vo imparare,     | If you want to learn the galliard
sotto lo mastro el bisognia stare       | You'll have to stay under the master.
[Che de ser' e de matina...]

A che e principiante li vo dare         | To the beginners I'll give
Questo compagnio ch'a nome Martino      | This companion, called Martino.
[Che de ser e de matina...]

The music score archive IMSLP has this to say about the text:

A fine mid-century villanella with ribald double-entendres.

I can see innuendo in two phrases: "ca 'nce vuoi chiamare" (apparently the lady screams because dancing lessons are so enjoyable) and "sotto lo mastro el bisognia stare" (obviously). Is there anything else? What am I missing?

Answer 1

First of all, the beginning of the text, Chi la gagliarda donna vo' imparare is wrong. The text says:

Chi la gagliarda, donne, vo' imparare,

donne plural and vocative, as in the English translation.

(See https://www.sba.unifi.it/upload/scienzesociali/eventi/voci_parole_immagini.pdf or http://www.alphabeto.it/corale_vannucchi/spartiti/Donato-ChiLaGagliarda.pdf)

La gagliarda is a dance: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gagliarda.

I can see innuendo in two phrases: "ca 'nce vuoi chiamare" (apparently the lady screams because dancing lessons are so enjoyable) and "sotto lo mastro el bisognia stare" (obviously). Is there anything else? What am I missing?

Ladies don't scream, the man who sings the song says: "Se ci vuoi chiamare, prova e dopo dieci volte veniamo, saliremo a casa tua (salimo)(If you want, call us, try and we come upstairs to you)"

All the song is a double entendre, not specific lines, a sexual double sense lays underneath all the song: the dance also can be interpreted in a sexual sense, the masters can be interpreted as masters of love, also for 'beginner' young women, for whom there is 'the companion Martino' (another possible sexual allusion), and the masters go upstairs to the women, and they 'play' all the night, and so on.

Answer 2

I am no 16th century dialect expert, but I would note a few things:

Imparare is also used in the south as to teach, as in the idiom nessuno nasce imparato (no one is born with all the knowledge).

Seen this way, Chi la gagliarda donna vo' imparare might sound to those who want to teach the vigorous woman or maybe even if you want to tame the strong woman.

The line ca 'nce vuoi chiamare. A passa dieci volte che salimo, to me sounds like this: if you want to call us, stroll around ten times and we will come upstairs.

In fact ca is (still) not like modern Italian che. In dialect it might read since, because or if.

Lastly, the companion called Martino, might hint to what is usually given to a woman skipping a formal introduction.