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Amo l' ora del giorno che muore Quando il sole già stanco declina, E nell'onde di queta marina Veggo il raggio supremo languir. In quell' ora mi torna nel core Un' età più felice di questa, In quell' ora dolcissima e mesta Volgo a te, cara donna, il sospir. L' occhio immoto ed immoto il pensiero, Io contemplo la striscia lucente Che mi vien dal sereno occidente La quïete solcando del mar. E desio di quell' aureo sentiero [Avviarmi]1 sull' orma infinita Quasi debba la [trista]2 mia vita Ad un porto di pace guidar.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotesConfirmed with Opere di Andrea Maffei. Liriche, Firenze (Florence), Felice le Monnier, 1864, page 321.
1 Verdi: "Ravviarmi"2 Verdi: "stanca"
Text Authorship:
- by Andrea Maffei (1798 - 1885), no title [author's text checked 1 time 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 Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901), "Il tramonto", 1845 [ voice and piano ], from 6 Romanze, no. 1, note: there are two versions of the song - one with only the first two stanzas, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Giuseppe Verdi.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
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Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Sol ponent", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Will Crutchfield) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le coucher du soleil", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Der Abend", copyright © 2015, (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: 96
I love the hour of day’s dying, when the tired sun descends, and in the still waters of the marina I see the last rays languishing. In that hour, there returns to my heart a happier age than this one; in that sweet and sad hour, I turn my sighs, dear woman, to you! With sight and thought immobile I gaze on the streaks of light That come from the serene East Plowing over the placid sea. And I wish to set forth [upon]1 The infinite steps of that golden path As though it might guide my [sad]2 life To a harbor of peace.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotes1 Verdi: "again"
2 Verdi: "weary"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2025 by Will Crutchfield, (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 Andrea Maffei (1798 - 1885), no title
This text was added to the website: 2025-05-01
Line count: 16
Word count: 106