Peperoncini rossi nel sole cocente polvere sul viso e sul cappello io e Maddalena all'occidente abbiamo aperto i nostri occhi oltre il cancello ho dato la chitarra al figlio del fornaio per una pizza ed un fucile la ricomprerò lungo il sentiero e suonerò per Maddalena all'imbrunire. Nun chiagne Maddalena Dio ci guarderà e presto arriveremo a Durango Stringimi Maddalena 'sto deserto finirà tu potrai ballare o fandango Dopo i templi aztechi e le rovine le prime stelle sul Rio Grande Di notte sogno il campanile e il collo di Ramon pieno di sangue Sono stato proprio io all'osteria a premere le dita sul grilletto Vieni mia Maddalena voliamo via il cane abbaia quel che è fatto è fatto Nun chiagne Maddalena Dio ci guarderà e presto arriveremo a Durango Stringimi Maddalena 'sto deserto finirà tu potrai ballare o fandango Alla corrida con tequila ghiacciata vedremo il toreador toccare il cielo All'ombra della tribuna antica dove Villa applaudiva il rodeo Il frate pregherà per il perdono ci accoglierà nella missione Avrò stivali nuovi un orecchino d'oro e sotto il velo tu farai la comunione La strada è lunga ma ne vedo la fine arriveremo per il ballo e Dio ci apparirà sulle colline coi suoi occhi smeraldi di ramarro Nun chiagne Maddalena Dio ci guarderà e presto arriveremo a Durango Stringimi Maddalena 'sto deserto finirà tu potrai ballare o fandango Che cosa è il colpo che ho sentito ho nella schiena un dolore caldo siediti qui trattieni il fiato forse non sono stato troppo scaltro Svelta Maddalena prendi il mio fucile guarda dove è partito il lampo miralo bene cercare di colpire potremmo non vedere più Durango Nun chiagne Maddalena Dio ci guarderà e presto arriveremo a Durango Stringimi Maddalena 'sto deserto finirà tu potrai ballare o fandango Avventura a Durango © 1978 Fabrizio De André/Massimo Bubola based on Romance in Durango © 1975 Ram's Horn Music; renewed 2003 by Ram’s Horn Music During the making of Rimini, De Andrè and Bubola listened to Dylan's Desire album a lot, and De André considered it one of the best of Dylan's releases. Their translation is fairly faithful to the original; the Spanish choruses are rendered in Neapolitan dialect. |
Hot chili peppers in the blistering sun, dust on my face and my hat. Me and Magdalena off to the west, we’ve opened our eyes beyond the gate. I gave my guitar to the baker’s son for a pizza and a rifle. I’ll buy it back along the trail and I’ll play for Magdalena at dusk. Don’t cry, Magdalena, God will watch over us and soon we’ll arrive in Durango. Hold me, Magdalena, this desert will end, you’ll be able to dance the fandango. After the Aztec temples and ruins, the first star on the Rio Grande. At night I dream of the bell-tower and the neck of Ramon filled with blood. Was it just me at the cantina to squeeze the trigger? Come, my Magdalena, let’s fly away, the dog barks, “What’s done is done.” Don’t cry, Magdalena, God will watch over us and soon we’ll arrive in Durango. Hold me, Magdalena, this desert will end, you’ll be able to dance the fandango. At the bullfight with ice-cold tequila we’ll see the torero touch the sky in the shadow of the ancient grandstand where Villa applauded the rodeo. The priest will pray for my pardon, he’ll welcome us in the mission church. I'll wear new boots and an earring of gold, and under the veil you’ll take Communion. The way is long but I see the end, we’ll arrive for the dance and God will appear there on the hill with his lizardy emerald eyes. Don’t cry, Magdalena, God will watch over us and soon we’ll arrive in Durango. Hold me, Magdalena, this desert will end, you’ll be able to dance the fandango. What is the blast that I heard? I have a hot pain in my back. Sit here, hold your breath, maybe I wasn’t too clever. Thin Magdalena, take my rifle, look where the flash of light came from. Aim at it well, try to shoot it, we may not see Durango no more. Don’t cry, Magdalena, God will watch over us and soon we’ll arrive in Durango. Hold me, Magdalena, this desert will end, you’ll be able to dance the fandango. English translation © 2014 Dennis Criteser Rimini grew out of De André's disappointments with the political events of the previous couple of years. In close collaboration with Massimo Bubola, a young 24-year-old who had just released his first album, De André explored several social and political themes, including abortion, homosexuality, and how the petite bourgeoisie attempted to move into the ranks of the powerful and rise above the political and social turmoil of the times. The music has more influence from American rock and pop music than previous albums, and includes his first forays into ethnic music, which will eventually come to full fruition in his masterpiece album Crêuza de mä. |
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.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Rimini:
Avventura a Durango
Romance in Durango (Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy)
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