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by Carlo Clausetti (1869 - 1943)
Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Ballata delle gnomidi
Language: Italian (Italiano) 
Our translations:  FRE
Traducono lo gnomo 
anfanante le donne, 
date al vento le gonne 
sottilissime. L'omo 

minuscolo sgambetta, 
sospeso fra le due
donne che sono sue 
e un sol talamo aspetta.

O gnomidi, la corsa 
non sia per lunga strada, 
perchè stanco non cada 
egli, al cader dell'Orsa! 

Non fu accesa una teda 
al connubio difforme, 
ma fuori erano torme 
di gnomi ansii di preda.

E ne la notte crebra 
alto un grido si udì,
doloroso così 
da fugar la tenèbra. 

Silenzio, indi. La nova 
alba nascea. Le insane 
mogli la spoglia inane
trassero da l'alcova.

E andarono con essa, 
seguite da la furba 
degli omuncoli turba 
che brulicava spessa

e borbottava preci 
degne sol di anatema, 
nel gergo da blasfema 
che tra le inferne peci

s'ode. Per un cammino 
aspro, giunsero a un largo
poggio che il dritto margo
ergea sovra un turchino 

mare. Il sozzo marito 
in un attimo fu 
precipitato giù. 
Ed ebbe fine il rito.

Ora del poggio al mezzo 
danzano le due donne, 
dopo la notte insonne, 
al mattinale orezzo. 

E, mentre il giorno avanza,
la piccoletta gente
s'unisce ale cruente 
vedove ne la danza.

E l'un grida e l'un gabba, 
l'altro morde o sghignazza: 
tutti avvolge la pazza 
furia, come in un sabba.

Note: this text is the inspiration for an orchestral work by Respighi.

Text Authorship:

  • by Carlo Clausetti (1869 - 1943) [author's text checked 1 time 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 Ottorino Respighi (1879 - 1936), "Ballata delle gnomidi", 1920, published 1920 [orchestra], Milan, G. Ricordi [
     text not verified 
    ]

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

  • ENG English (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist) , title 1: "The ballad of the gnomides", published 1920
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , title 1: "La ballade des gnomes", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2016-08-15
Line count: 52
Word count: 206

La ballade des gnomes
Language: French (Français)  after the Italian (Italiano) 
Traînant le gnome
en rage, les femmes
donnent au vent leurs jupes
Très fines. L'homme

minuscule gigote,
suspendu entre les deux
femmes qui sont siennes
et une seule couche nuptiale les attend.

Ô gnomes, que la course
ne soit pas longue,
pour qu'il ne tombe pas de fatigue,
quand la grande ourse tombera.

Aucune torche ne fut allumée
pour cette alliance discordante,
mais dehors étaient des hordes
de gnomes avides de la proie.

Et dans la nuit épaisse
un grand cri fut entendu,
douloureux comme
pour faire fuir les ténèbres.

Puis le silence. La nouvelle
aube point. Les femmes
folles tirent la dépouille vaine
hors de l'alcôve.

Et elles s'en vont avec elle
suivies par la troupe
fourbe des homuncules
qui grouille tout autour

et marmonne des prières
dignes seulement d'anathèmes,
dans un jargon de blasphèmes
qui dans les profondeurs infernales

s'entendent. Par un chemin
raide, ils atteignent une large
colline dont le côté droit
se tient au-dessus d'une mer

bleue. Le vil mari
en un instant
fut lancé en bas.
Et le rite fut terminé.

Maintenant au milieu de la colline
les deux femmes dansent
après leur nuit sans sommeil,
dans la brise matinale.

Et pendant que le jour se lève,
les petits hommes
se joignent à la danse
des cruelles veuves.

Et l'un crie, un autre se moque,
un autre encore mord ou ricane :
tous sont pris par une folie
furieuse comme dans un sabbat.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Italian (Italiano) to French (Français) copyright © 2016 by Guy Laffaille, (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 Carlo Clausetti (1869 - 1943)
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2016-08-29
Line count: 52
Word count: 237

Gentle Reminder

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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