Tancas serradas a muru

"Tancas serradas a muru" (Sardinian language; "Tancas closed with wall") is a traditional Sardinian folk. The verses had been composed by the blind poet Melchiorre Murenu, shortly after the entry into force of the Editto delle chiudende, a legislative provision issued on October 6, 1820. This act authorized the fencing of de facto common land, but subject to collective use, thus expanding the scope of enjoyment of the properties. These verses have become a folk song. The piece was very popular on the island and was performed by the various choirs in the manner of canto a tenore. The first choir that recorded it was the Coro Supramonte of Orgosolo which, finally, released it in 1974 on an LP for Fonit Cetra. In 1964 the piece was rewritten by Luciano Berio (and included in the collection Folk Songs) for voice (mezzo-soprano),flute, clarinet, harp, percussion, viola and cello.

Tancas serradas a muru
Genre	cantu a tenore
Text	Melchiorre Murenu
Language	Sardinian

Original Text

Tancas serradas a muru,
Fattas a s’afferra afferra,
Si su chelu fit in terra,
che l’aian serradu puru.

Literal English Translation

Enclosures closed with walls,
made by the grabbers;
if heaven were on earth,
they would have fenced that too.

Other versions

• 1984, Maria Carta, in the album Sonos 'e memoria
• 1988, Bertas in the LP Unu mundu bellissimu
• 2005, with the title Tancas Serradas A Muru (Walls Are Encircling The Land), Osvaldo Golijov in the CD Ayre, with Dawn Upshaw & The Andalucian Dogs, Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Hamburg