by Giovanni Alfredo Cesareo (1861 - 1937)
Translation © by Laura Prichard

La serenata
Language: Italian (Italiano) 
Available translation(s): ENG SPA
Vola, o serenata:
La mia diletta è sola,
e, con la bella testa abbandonata,
posa tra le lenzuola: 
O serenata, vola.
O serenata, vola.

Splende Pura la luna, 
l'ale il silenzio stende,
e dietro i veni dell'alcova 
bruna la lampada s'accende. 
Pure la luna splende. 
Pure la luna splende.

Vola, o serenata,
Vola, o serenata, vola. 
Ah! là. Ah! là.

Vola, o serenata:
La mia diletta è sola,
ma sorridendo ancor mezzo assonnata,
torna fra le lenzuola: 
O serenata, vola.
O serenata, vola.

L'onda sogna su 'l lido,
e 'l vento su la fronda;
e a' baci miei ricusa ancore un nido 
la mia signora bionda.
Sogna su 'l lido l'onda.
Sogna su 'l lido l'onda.

Vola, o serenata,
Vola, o serenata, vola. 
Ah! là. Ah! là.

Authorship:

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

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

  • ENG English (Laura Prichard) , title 1: "The serenade", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Danilo Serrano) , title 1: "La serenata", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Wilson Woo

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 30
Word count: 127

The serenade
Language: English  after the Italian (Italiano) 
Fly, o serenade:
My beloved is alone,
with her beautiful head hidden
under the sheets: 
O serenade, fly.
O serenade, fly.

The moonlight is pure, 
wings of silence stretch out,
and behind the veils of the dark alcove
the lamp burns. 
The pure moonbeams shine. 
The pure moonbeams shine. 

Fly, o serenade,
Fly, o serenade, fly. 
Ah! là. Ah! là.

Fly, o serenade:
My beloved is alone,
but still smiling [while] half asleep,
she has returned beneath the sheets: 
O serenade, fly.
O serenade, fly.

The waves dream on the shore,
and the wind [blows] through the branches;
and my kisses don’t result in a nest [being offered],  
by my blonde lady.
Dreaming on the shore, [are] the waves.
Dreaming on the shore, [are] the waves.

Fly, o serenade.
Fly, o serenade, fly. 
Ah! là. Ah! là.

Authorship:

  • Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2015 by Laura Prichard, (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: 

Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2015-12-25
Line count: 30
Word count: 137