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

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

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

See below for more information.

by Giuseppe Ungaretti (1888 - 1970)
Translation © by John Plant

Quale canto s’è levato stanotte
Language: Italian (Italiano) 
Quale canto s’è levato stanotte 
che intesse
di cristallina eco del cuore
le stelle

Quale festa sorgiva 
di cuore a nozze

Sono stato
uno stagno di buio

Ora mordo
come un bambino la mamella 
lo spazio

Ora sono ubriaco 
d’universo

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Giuseppe Ungaretti (1888 - 1970) [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 John Plant , "La notte bella", alternate title: "Devetachi il 24 agosto 1916", first performed 2001 [ voice, violin, cello and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • ENG English (John Plant) , title 1: "Devetachi, 24 August 1916", title 2: "The beautiful night ", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Jocelyne Fleury) , "La belle nuit", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2023-03-03
Line count: 13
Word count: 40

The beautiful night 
Language: English  after the Italian (Italiano) 
What song arose tonight 
weaving a tapestry
of stars
from the crystal echo of the heart

What upwelling feast 
of a heart at wedding

I have been
a pool of darkness

Now I bite
into space
like a baby his mother’s breast

Now I am drunk 
on universe

Text Authorship:

  • by John Plant , title 1: "Devetachi, 24 August 1916", title 2: "The beautiful night ", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in Italian (Italiano) by Giuseppe Ungaretti (1888 - 1970)
    • Go to the text page.

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

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this page: Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2023-03-03
Line count: 13
Word count: 48

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–Emily Ezust, Founder

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