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by Vittoria Aganoor Pompilj (1855 - 1910)
Translation © by Laura Prichard

E se un giorno tornasse
Language: Italian (Italiano)  after the French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG
E se un giorno tornasse 
che dovrei dirgli?
Digli che lo si attese 
fino a morirne.

E se ancora interrogasse 
senza riconoscermi?
Parla a lui come farebbe una sorella; 
forse egli soffre.

E se chiede dove siete, 
che debbo dirgli?
Dagli il mio anello 
d'oro, senza parole.

E se vorrà sapere perché 
la sala è vota?
Mostragli che la lampada 
è spenta e l'uscio aperto.

Ma se poi mi richiede 
dell'ultima ora?
Digli che in quell'ora ho sorriso 
per non far ch'egli pianga.

Text Authorship:

  • by Vittoria Aganoor Pompilj (1855 - 1910) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in French (Français) by Maurice Maeterlinck (1862 - 1949), no title, written 1893, appears in Quinze Chansons, no. 2
    • 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):

  • by Ottorino Respighi (1879 - 1936), "E se un giorno tornasse", P. 96. [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

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

  • ENG English (Laura Prichard) , 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: 20
Word count: 83

Q: What if one day he were to return
Language: English  after the Italian (Italiano) 
Q: What if one day he were to return
what should I tell him?
A: Tell him I expected him
until the moment of my death.

Q: And if he still inquires
without recognizing me?
A: Talk to him as to a sister;
perhaps he suffers.

Q: And if he asks where you are,
what shall I say?
A: Give him my ring
of gold, without speaking.

Q: And if he wants to know why
the room is empty?
A: Show [him that] the lamp
is out and the door is open.

Q: But if he asks me
about [your] last hour?
A: Tell him that in that hour I smiled
so that he doesn't weep.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in Italian (Italiano) by Vittoria Aganoor Pompilj (1855 - 1910)
    • Go to the text page.

Based on:

  • a text in French (Français) by Maurice Maeterlinck (1862 - 1949), no title, written 1893, appears in Quinze Chansons, no. 2
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2015-12-26
Line count: 20
Word count: 116

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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