Jepele Frontull
As a youth, Jepele Frontull moved to Brunico to learn German and play organ. After training as a teacher in Bolzano, he became a teacher in Pieve di Marebbe, where he stayed until retirement. There, he was also organist, choirmaster and bandmaster. His work includes songs that form the backbone of the traditional Ladin repertoire, including Na sëra sarëna and Os sotusc, original songs, songs translated from German, secular songs, and sacred texts. He also set the operettas Le ćiastel dles stries and Le scioz da San Jênn to music, the latter written by his friend Angelo Trebo.
Os sotus
Os sotusc, tiradöms,
abinesse düć adöm!
Nüsc bi prés
è sen siés,
jö de munt sen nos s’an jun;
dlun ćiantenn,
dlun scraienn,
chel i plesc a nosc patrun.
Le gran fant
dess ji dant,
chel co porta le ciostun;
do ad el spo der bel
dlun cigenn spo nos s’an jun.
O beleza dal disté,
tres sön munt oress-on sté,
enlò ne sont-on mai fadia
mo dagnora alegria!
Os sotusc, tiradöms,
abinesse düć adöm!
Spo ‘ndoman
desch’i san
jun-se düć bi sagn intun;
pal ostì
dess-on ji,
vin nes paia nosc patrun.
Spo magari
val zigari,
desche nos düć canć savun,
ven schinchés, ven fömés,
spo la papa nos cumprun.
O beleza dal disté,
tres sön munt oress-on sté,
enlò ne sont-on mai fadia
mo dagnora alegria!
R. Bernardi, P.Videsott, 2014, Geschichte der ladinischen Literatur; bu,press, Bolzano