O, Waly Waly
See base text
Language: English
Our translations: CAT FRE ITA
The water is wide I cannot get o'er,
And neither have I wings to fly.
Give me a boat that will carry two,
And both shall row, my love and I.
...
A ship there is, and she sails the sea,
She's loaded deep as deep can be,
But not so deep as the love I'm in:
I know not if I sink or swim.
I leaned my back up against some oak
Thinking that he was a trusty tree;
But first he bended, and then he broke;
And so did my false love to me.
O, down in the meadows the other day,
A-gathering flowers both fine and gay,
A-gathering flowers both red and blue,
I little thought what love can do.
...
O! love is handsome and love is fine,
And love's a jewel while it is new;
But when it is old, it groweth cold,
And fades away like morning dew.
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,4,3,2,5 of the original text.
Composition:
Set to music by David Evan Thomas (b. 1958), "O, Waly Waly", 1989/2003, stanzas 1,4,3,2,5 [ medium voice, piano ]
Text Authorship:
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Ai las, ai las", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Hélas, hélas", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Non posso attraversare il mare vasto", copyright © 2012, (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: 20
Word count: 152
Language: Italian (Italiano)  after the English
Non posso attraversare il mare vasto
e le ali mi mancano per riuscire a volare,
datemi una barca dove per due ci sia posto
e remeremo insieme, io e il mio amore.
...
Là c'è una nave che il mare attraversa,
e porta un carico, quanto può sopportare,
ma non pesante quanto il mio amore pesa
e non so se nuotare o lasciarmi annegare.
Poi a un ramo di quercia mi sono appoggiato,
pensando che di lui mi potevo fidare,
ma prima si piegò, e poi si è spezzato;
la stessa cosa ha fatto il mio falso amore.
Da un giorno all'altro il prato là in basso
in bellezza festosa era tutto in fiore,
il colore azzurro si mescolava al rosso,
pensavo allora a ciò che può fare amore.
...
Oh! Bello è l'amore e molto attraente,
e quando nasce è un gioiello lucente,
ma freddo diventa quando poi è invecchiato,
e come rugiada al mattino è presto svanito.
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,4,3,2,5 of the original text.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2012 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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:
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This text was added to the website: 2012-04-30
Line count: 20
Word count: 157