CONCERT SONGS I
English translations and/or notes for...
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Translation and Notes: Alfonsina y el mar (Alfonsina and the sea)
© Jean Peccei
Music: Ariel Ramírez, Text: Félix Luna
On the night that the Argentine composer Ariel Ramírez and the poet
Félix Luna composed the Christmas carols for the Misa Criolla CD,
they also composed Alfonsina y el mar. It was in memory of the poet
Alfonsina Storni At the age of 46, suffering from cancer and severe
depression following the deaths of three of her closest friends, she
committed suicide by walking into the sea at Mar del Plata in Argentina.
The song is based on the last poem that she wrote, Voy a dormir (I am
going to sleep)...
Voy a dormir
Alfonsina Storni (1892-1938)
Dientes de flores, cofía de rocío,
manos de hierbas, tú, nodriza fina
tenme prestas las sábanas terrosas
y el edredón de musgos encardado.
Voy a dormir, nodriza mía; acuéstame.
Ponme una lámpara a la cabecera;
una constelación: la que te guste;
todas son buenas; bájala un poquito,
déjame sola: oyes romper los brotes...
Te acuesta un pie celeste desde arriba
y un pájaro te traza unos compases
para que olvides... Gracias. Ah, un encargo:
si él llama nuevamente por teléfono,
le dices que no insista, que he salido.
Alfonsina y el mar (Alfonsina and the sea) Spanish lyrics HERE
From the soft sand lapped by the sea
Your little footprint will never come back
A path full of pain and suffering
Reaches the deep water
A path of silent grief
leads to the waves.
Only God knows what anguish you had
What ancient pains silenced your voice
Lying down, lulled by the song
Of the conch shells
The songs that the conches sing
In the dark depths of the sea.
Alfonsina, you have left with your loneliness
What new poems are you seeking?
An ancient voice of the wind and the sea
Breaks off your soul and carries it away
And you follow, as in your dreams,
Asleep, Alfonsina, clothed with the sea
Five little mermaids will take you
Along paths of seaweed and coral
And phosphorescent sea horses
Will swim around you
And the creatures of the water
Will soon play at your side.
Dim the lamp a little more for me
Let me sleep in peace
And if he calls, don't tell him that I'm here
Tell him that Alfonsina will not return
And if he calls don't ever tell him that I'm here
Say that I have gone.
Alfonsina, you have left with your loneliness
What new poems are you seeking?
An ancient voice of the wind and the sea
Breaks off your soul and carries it away
And you follow, as in your dreams,
Asleep, Alfonsina, clothed with the sea.
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Notes on Era de maggio (It was in May)
© Jean Peccei
Music: Costa, Text: Di Giacomo
In this song, a garden at the height of spring is a metaphor for love
and hope. The singer, separated from his sweetheart, fondly remembers
the time when they first fell in love. He recalls that it was in May,
when ripe red cherries fell from the trees, the air was sweet, and the
garden was perfumed with roses. They sang to each other this song...
"Oh heart, heart, my heart! You are going far away. You are leaving me.
But I count the hours until your return"
Ever faithful, he vows to return to the garden when the roses
do...."When May comes, I'll be there." And, he assures his beloved that
while time passes and the world changes, true love will remain constant.
"I fell in love with your beauty by this fountain. And just as it will
never run dry, neither shall my love for you ever end."
The song ends with the passionate cry...
"May will return, and so will love. Do with me what you will!"
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Notes on Fenesta ca lucive (The shining window)
© Jean Peccei
Music and Text: Anonymous
In Fenesta ca lucive, a young man tells the sad story of returning to a
shining window only to find that it shines no more. He has come to ask
about his sweetheart who has been ill. Her sister leans from the window
and tells him that she has died and now lies in the church. "She always
cried when she slept alone, but now she sleeps with death", she tells
him.
"Go the church and look into her coffin, out of her mouth once came
words of love, but now only worms. Oh pity!"
He will ask the priest to take care of her and keep a lamp lit by her
coffin. The shining window is closed. He will never walk down that
street again. Instead, he will walk in the cemetary and await the day
that death allows him to be with his sweetheart again.
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Notes on La luna nova (The new moon)
© Jean Peccei
Music: Costa, Text: Di Giacomo
In La luna nova, as in many Neapolitan songs, Naples itself is a
protagonist. The poet sings of the new moon that shines on the sea and
on a lonely fisherman in his boat. He is almost falling asleep over his
nets. "Don't sleep! Wake up! Listen to me, sailor, keep on rowing!."
As the sailor sleeps, he sighs. For he is dreaming of his beloved. The
sea is silent and calm. Even the moon is bewitched. "Oh silver moon,
let him sleep, kiss his forehead gently, do not awaken him!"
Just as the sailor sleeps, so do you, oh blessed Naples! But in your
dreams there are bitter tears too. Wake up! Naples, if only you could
wake up!
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Translation and Notes on Marechiare
© Jean Peccei
Music: Tosti, Text: Di Giacomo
This is a very free translation from the Neapolitan. The song is about a
young man serenading his beloved in the town of Marechiare. His
beloved's name is Caruli' (The Neapolitan form of Caroline)
Marechiare
When the moon rises over Marechiare,
even the fish tremble with love.
In the bosom of the sea,
the waves churn with joy
and change their color.
In Marechiare, a balcony smiles.
My passion flies there.
Beneath it, the water murmurs,.
A carnation perfumes the air
.
Whoever says that the stars shine brightly
has never seen the splendor of your eyes
I know so well their burning light
that descends into the depths of this heart
Awaken, Caruli! Here the air is sweet
and I have never waited so long for you!
Tonight the guitar that I've brought
will accompany my voice.
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English line by line Translation of Musica proibita (Forbidden music)
© Antonio Giuliano
Music: Stanislao Gastaldon, Text: Flick Flock
Musica proibita
Forbidden music
Ogni sera di sotto al mio balcone
Underneath my balcony every evening
Sento cantar una canzone d'amore,
I hear a love-song,
Più volte la ripete un bel garzone
Repeated several times by a handsome young man
E battere mi sento forte il core,
And it makes my heart beat faster.
Oh quanto è dolce quella melodia!
O how sweet is that melody!
Oh com' è bella, quanto m' è gradita!
O how pretty, how I love to hear it!
Ch'io la canti non vuol la mamma mia:
My mother will not let me sing it,
Vorrei saper perché me l'ha proibita?
Though why she would forbid me, I don't know.
Ella non c'è ed io la vo' cantare
Now that she is out I am going to sing
La frase che m'ha fatto palpitare:
The song that I found so exciting.
Vorrei baciare i toui capelli neri,
I'd like to kiss your raven hair,
Le labbra tue e gli occhi tuoi severi,
Your lips and your solemn eyes;
Vorrei morir con te, angel di Dio,
I would want to die with you, O heavenly angel,
O bella innamorata tesor mio.
My beautiful beloved, precious jewel.
Qui sotto il vidi ieri a passeggiare,
Yesterday I saw him walking by,
E lo sentiva al solito cantar:
And heard him sing as he always does:
Vorrei baciare i tuoi capelli neri,
I'd like to kiss your raven hair,
Le labbra tue e gli occhi toui severi!
Your lips and your solemn eyes!
Stringimi, o cara, stringimi al tuo core,
Clasp me, darling, clasp me to your heart,
Fammi provar l'ebbrezza dell'amor.
Let me feel the ecstasy of love!
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Translation and Notes on Segreto (Secret)
© Jean Peccei
Music Tosti, Text: Stecchetti
This song is set to an Italian poem by Lorenzo Stecchetti. Highly
recommended is Jose Carreras' recording of this song on Jose Carreras
Sings Francesco PaoloTosti (Philips 426 372-2) Carreras' interpretation is passionate but very sensitive, almost introspective. His voice was truly exquisite
back in 1979 when it was recorded - the pianissimo on the final word
morir is breathtaking. The theme of the poem, the equation between
love and pain, is reinforced by the repetition, in the song's most emphatic
lines, of two words that rhyme with amor (love) - cuor (heart) and
dolor (pain) ...
ho una ferrita in cuor (I have a wound in my heart)
Il segreto amor (the secret love)
un impeto di gioa e di dolor (a force of joy and of pain)
mi trema il cuor (it is trembling, my heart)
The song ends, as it begins, with the line "and little by little, it
will make me die!"... "e poco a poco mi fara morir!"
Segreto (Secret)
There is a wound in my heart that is bleeding,
that little by little will make me die.
Pierced by pain, my soul languishes;
I am in love and I cannot tell my secret.
I sometimes see my secret love beside me,
as beautiful as the light.
She passes by me and I feel shattered.
It is a force of joy and of pain..
I never had hope. Even from the first day,
I closed my secret love within me.
And she will never know that she was loved.
She will see me lying dead and will not know why.
And when I see her, I want to open my arms,
to tell her that I love her and that I give her my heart.
I want to look into her face with courage.
But my heart trembles and I cannot lift up my eyes.
There is a wound in my heart that is bleeding,
that little by little will make me die.
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Notes on Silenzio cantatore (Silence singer)
© Jean Peccei
Music: Lama, Text: Bovio
In Silenzio cantatore, the singer, somewhat paradoxically, sings in
praise of silence. He tells his beloved, Marí' (Maria in Neapolitan) to
be silent that night, to fall into his arms without speaking. All are
sleeping a shining sleep on this summer's night. The singer will be
silent too. "I will not tell you words of love, but let the sea speak
for me." The songs ends with "Tell me if tonight you are all mine. Yours
eyes tell me "Yes!". With this moon, no lies can come from your lips."
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Translation and Notes on Un' Ombra (A shadow)
© Jean Peccei
Music: Addinsell, Text: Bizzarri and Marcucci.
This song is a vocal version of Richard Addinsell's Warsaw Concerto,
originally composed for the film Dangerous Moonlight. Special Italian
lyrics were written for it by M. Bizzarri and G. Marcucci. The song is
recorded on Jose Carreras Pure Passion (Erato 3984-27305-2). Its
fourth verse is in Polish and has not been translated here.
Un' Ombra (A shadow)
I don't know who you are
I don't know why, but I think of you
as something that isn't there.
There is only a shadow with me.
In my eyes
are words that I will never speak
words so far away now
too far from here
As the sun drowns itself in the blue
when at sunset it dives into the sea
my words of love for you,
are born on the wind
towards the sky
I don't know who you are
I don't know why, but I think of you
as a burning candle that
warms my heart
as something that isn't there.
There is only a shadow with me.
There is only a shadow with me.
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Translation of Vieni sul mar (Come to the sea)
© Jean Peccei
Music and Text: Traditional Italian folk song
Vieni sul mar (Come to the sea)
Wake up, girl! The moon
spreads its shining ray on the sea
Come with me.
Your sailor's
dark faithful boat awaits you.
But you sleep and you
don't think of your faithful man.
But those who live for love don't sleep!
At night I fly to you on the shore,
And in the day I fly to you with my heart!
Come out on the sea,
Come rowing with me,
You will feel your sailor's ecstasy!
This page was last updated on: December 31, 2006
