Singable translation:

In the mountains of Mola

in the morning

a white-coated donkey was grazing, in the meadow

In the mountains of Mola

in the morning

cutting branches there was a dark-haired handsome fellow

As they drank they looked into each other’s eye ea ea eae

the water dribbled down their chins as they let out a sigh ea eae

The donkey's eyes were of the same color

as the sea;

and the youth was swept by the Mistral

when she breathed.

And enchanted she began to bray ae ae ae aea

and haltingly he answered though he found it hard to say ea eae

Oh lovely girl

moon of a donkey

Oh lovely girl

wool-covered cushion

Oh lovely girl

milk-white good fortune

Oh lovely boy

you make my eyes sting

Oh lovely boy

orgy of kisses

Oh lovely boy

you sew up my heart strings

The greatest love

the very first

the bee sucks honey, from this flower

to slake its thirst

Puppy love

eternal Spring

the velvet moss, the clapper that

makes this heart ring

But nothing can be kept a secret

in Gallura

Everything becomes common knowledge

in an hour

And hidden lurked an ugly crone who liked to spy ea ea eae

who, drooling as she watched, began to cry ea ea ea eae

Oh happy she

Lord he’s so handsome

Oh happy she

dark-haired and youthful

Oh happy she

I’ll die on my lonesome

Oh happy she

I remember so clearly

Oh happy she

and not one time only

Oh happy she

twisted and lonely

The greatest love

the very first

the bee sucks honey from this flower

to slake its thirst

Puppy love

eternal Spring

the velvet moss, the clapper that

makes this heart ring

Everyone dressed up in their finest for

the wedding feast.

And in his sacramental vestments,

came the priest.

But the man and donkey’s wedding,

it was frustrated

because the parish records revealed that

they were related.

And enchanted, she began to bray ae ae ae aea

and haltingly he answered though he found it hard to say ea eae

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This song is originally in a dialect of Sardinia, where de André lived for a number of years. "The Mountains of Mola" is, he notes, the ancient name for the costa smeralda (the Emerald Coast), a region of Sardinia. The translation is made from the Italian version of the text given in the liner notes of Le Nuvole (presumably made by de André himself).