Quando carica d'anni e di castità tra i ricordi e le illusioni del bel tempo che non ritornerà, troverai le mie canzoni, nel sentirle ti meraviglierai che qualcuno abbia lodato le bellezze che allor più non avrai e che avesti nel tempo passato ma non ti servirà il ricordo, non ti servirà che per piangere il tuo rifiuto del mio amore che non tornerà. Ma non ti servirà più a niente, non ti servirà che per piangere sui tuoi occhi che nessuno più canterà. Ma non ti servirà più a niente, non ti servirà che per piangere sui tuoi occhi che nessuno più canterà. Vola il tempo lo sai che vola e va, forse non ce ne accorgiamo ma più ancora del tempo che non ha età, siamo noi che ce ne andiamo e per questo ti dico amore, amor io t'attenderò ogni sera, ma tu vieni non aspettare ancor, vieni adesso finché è primavera. Valzer per un amore © 1964 Fabrizio De André/Gino Marinuzzi "Valzer per un amore" was the B side of the sixth 45 released by Karim, in 1964. The music is that of "Valzer campestre" from the Sicilian Suite (1909) by Gino Marinuzzi. De André wanted to set lyrics to this piece of music when he learned that he had been born at home while this song was playing on the record player. He contacted the composer's son and was happily given permission to use the music. De André's lyric approach was influenced by a 16th century French poem, one of Pierre de Ronsard's Sonnets pour Hélène: Quand vous serez bien vieille, au soir, à la chandelle, Assise auprès du feu, dévidant et filant, Direz, chantant mes vers, en vous émerveillant: Ronsard me célébrait du temps que j’étais belle. When you are very old, in the evening, by candlelight, Sitting by the fire, winding and spinning, You will say, singing my verses, marveling: Ronsard celebrated me in the time when I was beautiful. |
When laden with years and with chastity, among the memories and illusions of the good times that won’t return, you will find my songs. In hearing them you’ll marvel that someone praised the beauties that you’ll then no longer have and that you had in times past. But it won’t do you any good, the memory, it won’t do you any good save for lamenting your refusal of my love that won’t return. But it won't do you any more good at all, it won't do you any good save for grieving over your eyes that no one will sing of any more. But it won’t do you any more good at all, it won't do you any good save for grieving over your eyes that no one will sing of any more. Time flies, you know that it flies and it goes. Maybe we don’t notice it, but even more so than time, that has no age, 'tis we who are going away. And for this I say to you love, love, I’ll wait for you every evening. But come, don’t you keep waiting, come now while it’s springtime. English translation © 2014 Dennis Criteser Nuvole barocche, released in 1969, is a collection of De André singles released between 1961 and 1966. |
Fabrizio De André, the revered Italian singer/songwriter, created a deep and enduring body of work over the course of his career from the 1960s through the 1990s. With these translations I have tried to render his words into an English that reads naturally without straying too far from the Italian. The translations decipher De André's lyrics without trying to preserve rhyme schemes or to make the resulting English lyric work with the melody of the song.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Nuvole barocche:
Valzer per un amore (o campestre)
Waltz for a Lover (or Country Waltz)
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