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Vedi là, sulla collina, quella torre bruna bruna, sovra cui giammai ne inchina i suoi raggi amica luna, tra i cui ruderi deserti è perpetuo tenebror! [Vedi!] Spesso allor che il mondo dorme, se ti affisi in quei veroni, errar vedi oscure forme di sibille, di stregoni ed ascolti un suon di festa che di tema agghiaccia il cor. Fuggi, fuggi, o passeggero, dalla torre del mistero. Su quei merli stanno assisi la sventura ed il terrore. Quando l'alba in ciel si accende Sulla cima dirupata, Una striscia si distende Di meteora insanguinata; E fra quella, orrendi spetri Stan giojosi a carolar: E poi tuona, a destra, il cielo, La meteora in fiamma è volta, E una donna in bianco velo, Con la chioma all'aure sciolta, Tra le fiamme si profonda Con un grido di dolor. Spesso ardito cavaliere Desioso di ventura Per lo ripido sentiere S'avviava a notte oscura, E tra gli orridi rottami Già spronando il corridor. Ma tal fremito improvviso Gli agghiacciò nell'opra il core, Che, di tema allor conquiso, Volse indietro il corridore, Invocando al suo ritorno Della Vergine il favor.
Authorship
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)
- by Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848), "La torre di Biasone" [voice and piano], from Nuits d'Été à Pausilippe, no. 4. [ sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (John Glenn Paton) , "The tower of Biasano", copyright © 2016, (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: 40
Word count: 185
Look there, on the hill, that very dark tower, upon which never shine the rays of the friendly moon, among whose deserted ruins there is perpetual darkness! Often when the earth sleeps, if you look fixedly at those balconies you see obscure forms wandering, soothsayers, ugly witches, and you hear a festive sound that freezes your heart with fear. Flee, flee, o passenger, from the tower of mystery. Those battlements are seats of misfortune and terror. When dawn enflames the sky over the rocky summit, a streak stretches overhead of a meteor covered with blood, and meanwhile, horrid specters are joyously caroling. And then, to the right, the sky thunders, the meteor has turned to flames, and a lady veiled in white, with her hair blowing in the breeze, plunges into the flames with a cry of pain. Often an ardent cavalier, desiring an adventure, climbed the steep banks in the dark of night, and among the horrible wrecks who are encouraging the runner. But what a sudden trembling froze his heart while he was struggling, because, already conquered by fear, the runner turned around invoking upon his return the favor of the Virgin.
Authorship
- Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2016 by John Glenn Paton, (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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- a text in Italian (Italiano) by Leopoldo Tarantini (1811 - 1882)
This text was added to the website: 2016-01-20
Line count: 40
Word count: 194