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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

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by Ferdinando Fontana (1850 - 1919)
Translation © by Anne Evans

È morto Pulcinella!
Language: Italian (Italiano) 
Our translations:  ENG
Signore belle, voi mi dimandate
Qual nuova oggi vi porto?
Un'ingrata novella fra le ingrate
Vi reco!... Zitte!... Pulcinella è morto!

La sapienza del sorriso
Se ne andò da questo mondo
Con quell'uom dal negro viso,
Dal parlar sempre giocondo...
Giunto al termine fatale
Agli astanti ei mormorò:
"S'avvicina un funerale,
Al qual io non mancherò!"
Oh! che ingrata novella oggi vi porto,
Signore!... Zitte!... Pulcinella è morto!

Oggi è morto il gran poeta
Dal satirico ardimento,
Che mescè la goccia lieta
Nella coppa d'ogni evento...
Ma il perché della sua morte
A nessuno è noto ancor!
Ei morì... (bizarra sorte!)
Ei morì... di crepacuor!
Oh! che ingrata novella oggi vi porto,
Signore!... Zitte!... Pulcinella è morto!

Egli, il re dell'allegria,
Soffrì sempre un brutto male,
Un'orrenda malattia
Che si chiama l'Ideale!
Rise... Rise... ma nel petto
Spesso il pianto soffocò!
Quante volte ei diè diletto
E, di dentro, spasimò!
Oh! che ingrata novella oggi vi porto,
Signore!... Zitte!... Pulcinella è morto!

Egli s'era innamorato,
Ma sapea che il mondo intero
Scherno sol gli avria serbato
S'ei dicea quel suo mistero...
Ed ei finse... E rise ancora...
Rise... Rise... e non guarì!...
Invocò la morte allora...
E la morte lo rapì!...
Oh! che ingrata novella oggi vi porto,
Signore!... Zitte!... Pulcinella è morto!

Text Authorship:

  • by Ferdinando Fontana (1850 - 1919) [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), "È morto Pulcinella!", 1881, published 1881. [voice and piano] [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

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

  • ENG English (Anne Evans) , title 1: "Pulcinella is dead!", copyright © 2013, (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: 44
Word count: 214

Pulcinella is dead!
Language: English  after the Italian (Italiano) 
Pretty ladies, you ask me
what news I bring you today
I bring the cruelest news among the thankless
I bring you...Hush! Pulcinella is dead!

The wisdom of a smile
went out of this world
with that black faced man
and his ever merry speech...
When he came to his final moment
he murmured to those standing by
'A funeral is coming
one I shall not miss!'
Oh! what cruel news I bring you today
Ladies! Hush! Pulcinella is dead!












He was the King of merriment
yet he suffered a bitter affliction,
a terrible sickness
called an Ideal!
He laughed and laughed but in his heart
he often stifled tears!
How many times he gave pleasure
while he suffered inside!
Oh! what cruel news I bring you today
Ladies! Hush! Pulcinella is dead!

He had fallen in love,
but he knew that the whole world
would only mock him
if he spoke of that mystery...
And he pretended and smiled still...
He smiled and smiled...and did not get better!
Then he called on Death...
And Death took him away!...
Oh! what cruel news I bring you today
Ladies! Hush! Pulcinella is dead!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2013 by Anne Evans, (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 Ferdinando Fontana (1850 - 1919)
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2013-11-12
Line count: 34
Word count: 192

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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