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by Arturo Birga (1871 - 1959)
Translation © by Joshua Breitzer

Razzolan, sopra l'aja, le galline
Language: Italian (Italiano) 
Our translations:  ENG
Razzolan, sopra l'aja, le galline,
Beccando i chicchi sparsi del frumento.
Lungo la viale brune contadine
Passando, coi capelli sciolti al vento...
Razzolan, sopra l'aja, le galline,
Mentre dal pozzo la bella massaia
Tira su l'acqua e canta uno stornello
A Gigi che la guarda dal cancello!
A Gigi che la guarda stralunato
Con quell'occhietti pieni di passione...
Povero Gigi è tanto innamorato
Che si strugge com'un cero in processione!
Glielo vorrebbe confessar l'amore,
Ma quando l'è vicino non ha core...
Instanto la massaia indugia apposta,
Ma lui da qual cancello non si scosta!
Ma lui rimane lì fermo, impalato,
E lei prende 'l su' secchio e s'allontana...
Quand'è distante dall'innamorato
Canta con rabbia aprendo la gargana:
"Fiore di siepe, fiore d'amaranto...
Biondino mio non mi guardate tanto:
Se Dio ci ha fatto gli occhi per guardare,
Ci ha fatto anche la bocca per parlare!"

Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada and the U.S., but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.

Text Authorship:

  • by Arturo Birga (1871 - 1959) [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 Ottorino Respighi (1879 - 1936), "Razzolan, sopra l'aja, le galline", P. 103 no. 4 (1915) [ voice and piano ], from Quattro Rispetti Toscani, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • ENG English (Joshua Breitzer) , "The chickens scratch about the farmyard", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2007-08-18
Line count: 24
Word count: 145

The chickens scratch about the farmyard
Language: English  after the Italian (Italiano) 
The chickens scratch about the farmyard,
pecking at the scattered grains of corn.
Dark-haired peasant girls walk along
the path, their loose hair caught by the wind…
The chickens scratch about the farmyard,
while the pretty country girl draws water
from the well and sings a folk song
to Luigi who watches her from the gate!
To Luigi who watches her in confusion,
his eyes full of passion…
Poor Luigi is so in love
he’s burning up like a processional candle!
He’d like to confess his love to her,
but when he’s near her he hasn’t the courage…
She deliberately takes her time at the well,
but he doesn’t move from that gate!
He stands there stock-still, as if transfixed,
so she takes her pail and walks away…
When she’s far from her admirer,
she sings in angry tones:
“Hedge flower, amaranthus blossom…
My handsome blond, don’t just stare at me:
God gave us eyes to see with,
but he also gave us mouths to speak with!”

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © by Joshua Breitzer, (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 Arturo Birga (1871 - 1959)
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2022-09-27
Line count: 24
Word count: 167

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