Guitar from Abruzzo | I said to the flowers, to the wind, to the moon

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Riccardo Mazzola (1892 - 1922)

Translation © by Laura Prichard

Chitarrata abruzzese

Language: Italian (Italiano)

Our translations: ENG JPN

Ho detto ai fiori al vento ed alla luna:
  Stanotte io canterò la serenata:
  l'eco sospirerà per la laguna
  fin che l'avrò destata!

Ed or ch'è notte la luna s'asconde
  è notte, e passa l'aquilone;
  pupille verdemare e trecce bionde
  io più non canterò quella canzone!

Ho detto al sogno mio fatto di luce:
  Stanotte la terrò dentro le braccia:
  ella verrà, l'incanto la conduce
  e l'amor mio l'allaccia.

Ed or ch'è notte, solingo viandante,
  io vado e più non spero;
  la donna mia mutò passione e amante
  e il vento è cupo e l'orizzonte è nero!

Text Authorship:

by Riccardo Mazzola (1892 - 1922) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Francesco Paolo Tosti (1846 - 1916), "Chitarrata abruzzese", 1909 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 2 times]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Guitar from Abruzzo", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
JPN Japanese (日本語) (Naoyuki Okada) , "アブルッツォ地方のギターの調べ", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 97

Guitar from Abruzzo

Language: English after the Italian (Italiano)

I said to the flowers, to the wind, to the moon:
  Tonight I will sing a serenata:
  the echo will sign across the lagoon
  until I have woken her up!...

And now that it’s night, the moon is hidden
  it’s night, and the north wind is hidden;
  sea-green eyes and blonde tresses,
  I’ll no longer sing that song!

I’ve told my [poetic] dream made of light:
  Tonight I’ll hold her in my arms:
  she’ll come, the incantation will lead her,
  and my love will capture her.

And now that it’s night, I wander alone,
  I go and hope no more;
  my lady has changed her passion and lover
  and the wind is blean and the horizon black!

Translator's notes:
Title: Abruzzo is a southern central region of Italy, bordering the Adriatic Sea
Stanza 3, line 4, word 5: literally, to bind, splice (as in rope), or tie/fasten (as in shoes)

Text Authorship:

Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2015 by Laura Prichard, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Italian (Italiano) by Riccardo Mazzola (1892 - 1922)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2015-12-25
Line count: 16
Word count: 117