Anime salve: Khorakhanè (a forza di essere vento) Khorakhanè (by dint of being wind)

Il cuore rallenta la testa cammina in quel pozzo di piscio e cemento a quel campo strappato dal vento a forza di essere vento porto il nome di tutti i battesimi ogni nome il sigillo di un lasciapassare per un guado una terra una nuvola un canto un diamante nascosto nel pane per un solo dolcissimo umore del sangue per la stessa ragione del viaggio viaggiare Il cuore rallenta e la testa cammina in un buio di giostre in disuso qualche rom si è fermato italiano come un rame a imbrunire su un muro saper leggere il libro del mondo con parole cangianti e nessuna scrittura nei sentieri costretti in un palmo di mano i segreti che fanno paura finchè un uomo ti incontra e non si riconosce e ogni terra si accende e si arrende la pace i figli cadevano dal calendario Yugoslavia Polonia Ungheria i soldati prendevano tutti e tutti buttavano via e poi Mirka a San Giorgio di maggio tra le fiamme dei fiori a ridere a bere e un sollievo di lacrime a invadere gli occhi e dagli occhi cadere ora alzatevi spose bambine che è venuto il tempo di andare con le vene celesti dei polsi anche oggi si va a caritare e se questo vuol dire rubare questo filo di pane tra miseria e fortuna allo specchio di questa kampina ai miei occhi limpidi come un addio lo può dire soltanto chi sa di raccogliere in bocca il punto di vista di Dio Cvava sero po tute i kerava jek sano ot mori i taha jek jak kon kasta vasu ti baro nebo avi ker   Poserò la testa sulla tua spalla   e farò un sogno di mare   e domani un fuoco di legna   perché l'aria azzurra diventi casa kon ovla so mutavia kon ovla ovla kon ascovi me gava palan ladi me gava palan bura ot croiuti   chi sarà a raccontare   chi sarà sarà chi rimane   io seguirò questo migrare   seguirò questa corrente di ali Anime salve © 1996 Fabrizio De André/Ivano Fossati "Khorakhanè" is a song about the Romani people, who originated from India perhaps a thousand years ago. Khorakhanè means reader of the Koran, and in the song are a Serbian/Montenegran group of so-called Turkish Roma. Due to the nomadic ways of Romani tribes, they are sometimes called "people of the wind." The first verse is the image of the conflict that Romanis feel about settling down to a perhaps easier life versus their impulse to keep moving. The second verse refers to several Romani practices: giving their children the names of people currently in power so as to win them over and gain the ability of passage across borders; hiding their jewels in loaves of bread to avoid having them discovered and taken; and marrying within the tribe to maintain social purity. The third verse presents an image of Romanis who have settled down (as is the case for the great majority of them today). The fourth verse references the fact that Romani culture is an oral one, and that fortune telling has been a traditional means for earning a living. The fifth verse refers to the Nazi extermination of Romani tribes in World War II, while the sixth verse refers to the Festival of San Giorgio (Saint George is celebrated by both Christians and Muslims), an important celebration for Romani even in the midst of horror. Following the festival, the next verses are back to the everyday realities of a nomadic tribe, which include asking for handouts, which some might view as a kind of stealing, but which should be judged only from the point of view of God. The final two verses are in the Romani language.

The heart slows, the head walks into that well of piss and cement, to that camp torn by the wind, by dint of being wind. I carry the name of all the baptisms, every name the seal of a permit for a ford, a land, a cloud, a chant, a diamond hidden in bread, for a single temper of blood most sweet, for the same reason of the voyage, voyaging. The heart slows and the head walks into a darkness of abandoned merry-go-rounds. Some Roma settled down Italian like copper growing dark against a wall. Knowing how to read the book of the world with iridescent words and no writing in the narrow paths in the palm of a hand, the secrets that strike fear until a man meets you and doesn’t recognize himself, and every land catches fire and peace surrenders. The children were falling from the calendar, Yugoslavia, Polonia, Hungary, the soldiers were taking everyone and they were throwing everyone away. And then Mirka at San Giorgio in May amidst the flames of the flowers, to laugh, to drink, and a relief of tears invading the eyes and, from the eyes, falling. Now wake up, child brides, because the time has come to go. With the sky blue veins of the wrists even today one goes to ask for handouts. And if this means stealing, this line of bread between misery and fortune, in the mirror of this encampment, to my eyes clear like a farewell, he can call it that only one who knows about taking into his mouth the point of view of God. I’ll lay my head on your shoulder and I will make a dream out of the sea, and tomorrow a fire out of wood so that the blue air becomes home. Who will be there to tell the story? Who will be there? There will be whoever remains. I’ll follow this migrating, I’ll follow this movement of wings. English translation © 2014 Dennis Criteser Anime salve was released in 1996, the last of De André's thirteen studio albums. The songs were co-written by De André and Ivano Fossati, and the studio recording was co-produced by De André and Piero Milesi. De André referred to the album both as "a type of eulogy for solitude" and "a discourse on freedom." Here you will discover an album with De André at his full powers as lyricist and singer with his rich baritone in a musical setting that is striking, musically sophisticated and varied, with musical references to South America, the Balkans and the Mediterranean. The album was voted best Italian album of 1997 by the readers of La Repubblica and critics voted De André as the best Italian artist. The album also received the prestigious Targa Tenco prize for best album of 1997.

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