Saturday, March 1, 2014

Il pescatore - The Fisherman

All'ombra dell'ultimo sole
s'era assopito un pescatore
e aveva un solco lungo il viso
come una specie di sorriso.

Venne alla spiaggia un assassino
due occhi grandi da bambino
due occhi enormi di paura
eran gli specchi di un'avventura.

E chiese al vecchio dammi il pane
ho poco tempo e troppa fame
e chiese al vecchio dammi il vino
ho sete e sono un assassino.

Gli occhi dischiuse il vecchio al giorno
non si guardò neppure intorno
ma versò il vino, spezzò il pane
per chi diceva ho sete e ho fame.

E fu il calore d'un momento
poi via di nuovo verso il vento
poi via di nuovo verso il sole
dietro alle spalle un pescatore.

Dietro alle spalle un pescatore
e la memoria è già dolore
è già il rimpianto d'un aprile
giocato all'ombra di un cortile.

Vennero in sella due gendarmi
vennero in sella con le armi
chiesero al vecchio se lì vicino
fosse passato un assassino.

Ma all'ombra dell'ultimo sole
s'era assopito il pescatore
e aveva un solco lungo il viso
come una specie di sorriso
e aveva un solco lungo il viso
come una specie di sorriso.

Il pescatore © 1970 Fabrizio De André

"Il pescatore" was released in 1970 as a single. One of De André's most popular songs, it never appeared on a studio album, but can be heard on several live albums.

In the shadows of the last sunlight
a fisherman dozed off,
and he had a deeply furrowed brow
almost like a kind of smile.

To the beach came an assassin,
two eyes as big as a child’s,
two eyes enormous with fear -
they were mirrors of some adventure.

He begged the old man gimme some bread
I’ve little time and too much hunger, and
demanded of the old man gimme some wine
I’m thirsty, and I’m an assassin.

The old man opened his eyes a peak to the day
and didn’t even look around,
but he poured the wine and broke some bread
for whoever said he was thirsty and hungry.

There was a warmth in the moment, then
the assassin turned anew towards the wind
and turned again towards the sun,
behind him was a fisherman.

Yes, behind him was a fisherman,
and the memory is already painful,
is already the regret of an April that
played out in the shadows of some back yard.

Two gendarmes came on horseback,
they came armed in their saddles,
they asked the old man if anywhere nearby
there might have passed an assassin.

But in the shadows of the last sunlight
a fisherman dozed off,
and he had a deeply furrowed brow
almost like a kind of smile.
And he had a deeply furrowed brow
almost like a kind of smile.

English translation © 2014 Dennis Criteser


In 1979 Fabrizio De André joined forces with Italy's premiere progressive rock band PFM, who contributed new arrangements to many of De André's earlier work.
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