Toasts | Pour me some wine! Only you, oh wineglass

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by Andrea Maffei (1798 - 1885)

Translation © by Will Crutchfield

Brindisi

Language: Italian (Italiano)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE GER

Mescetemi il vino! Tu solo, o bicchiero,
Fra gaudi terreni non sei menzognero,
Tu, vita de' sensi, letizia del cor.
Amai; m'infiammaro due sguardi fatali;
Credei l'amicizia fanciulla senz'ali,
Follia de' prim'anni, fantasma illusor.

Mescetemi il vino, letizia del cor.

L'amico, l'amante col tempo ne fugge,
Ma tu non paventi chi tutto distrugge:
L'età non t'offende, t'accresce virtù.
Sfiorito l'aprile, cadute le rose,
Tu sei che n'allegri le cure noiose:
Sei tu che ne torni la gioia che fu.

Mescetemi il vino, letizia del cor.

Chi meglio risana del cor le ferite?
Se te non ci desse la provvida vite,
Sarebbe immortale l'umano dolor.
Mescetemi il vino! Tu sol, o bicchiero,
Fra gaudi terreni non sei menzognero,
Tu, vita de' sensi, letizia del cor.

Text Authorship:

by Andrea Maffei (1798 - 1885) [author's text not yet checked 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 Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901), "Brindisi", 1845 [ voice and piano ], from 6 Romanze, no. 6, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Giuseppe Verdi.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Brindis", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Will Crutchfield) , "Toasts", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Toast", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Trinkspruch", 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: 124

Toasts

Language: English after the Italian (Italiano)

Pour me some wine! Only you, oh wineglass…
among earthly pleasures, are not deceitful.
You, life of the senses and joy of the heart!
I have loved: two fatal eyes inflamed me. 
I believed that friendship would never fly away.
Youthful folly, illusory phantom!

Pour me some wine, joy of the heart.

Friends and lovers flee with time,
but you do not fear that destroyer of all.
Age only increases your virtues.
When April’s flowers are gone, when roses fade,
It’s you who lightens our tiresome cares.
It’s you who restores the joy of the past.

Pour me some wine, joy of the heart.

Who better cures a wounded heart?
If the generous vine did not give you to us,
human sorrow would be immortal!
Pour me some wine! Only you, oh wineglass,
Among earthly pleasures, are not deceitful.
You, life of the senses and joy of the heart!

Text Authorship:

Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2025 by Will Crutchfield, (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 Andrea Maffei (1798 - 1885)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-05-02
Line count: 20
Word count: 149