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Quando nasceste voi, disse la rosa: "Vo' dare alle tue gote il mio colore," E 'l giglio: "Anch'io vo' darti qualcosa: Ti darò la purezza e 'l mio candore..." La colomba li udì così parlare E smise tutt'a un tratto di volare... "Oh, voglio darti qualche cosa anch'io: Ti darò la mitezza del cor mio!" Sentirono, di sù dal ciel, le stelle E dissero anche loro tutte 'n coro: "Noi daremo alle tue pupille belle La nostra luce..." E 'l sole: "Io darò l'oro Del mio colore a tuoi biondi capelli..." E l'usignolo primo tra li augelli: "Darò alle tue parole l'armonia Del canto ch'esce dalla gola mia!"
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Text Authorship:
- by Arturo Birga (1871 - 1959) [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 Ottorino Respighi (1879 - 1936), "Quando nasceste voi", P. 103 no. 1 (1915) [ voice and piano ], from Quattro Rispetti Toscani, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Joshua Breitzer) , "When you were born", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Garrett Medlock) , "When you were born", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-08-18
Line count: 16
Word count: 108
When you were born, the rose said: “I want to give my colour to your cheeks.” And the lily said: “I too want to give you something: I shall give you purity and my whiteness of hue.” The dove heard them talking thus and suddenly paused its flight… “Oh, I want to give you something too: I shall give you the mildness of my heart!” High in the heavens the stars heard this and they too spoke from their hearts: “We shall give your beautiful eyes our light…” And the sun added: “I shall give my golden colour to your fair hair…” And, first among the birds, the nightingale said: “I shall give your voice the tunefulness of the song that flows from my throat!”
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2022 by Joshua Breitzer, (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.
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Based on:
- a text in Italian (Italiano) by Arturo Birga (1871 - 1959)
This text was added to the website: 2022-09-30
Line count: 16
Word count: 125