Quando nasceste voi, disse la rosa: "Vo' dare alle tue gote il mio colore," E 'l giglio: "Anch'io vo' darti qualcosa: Ti darò la purezza e 'l mio candore..." La colomba li udì così parlare E smise tutt'a un tratto di volare... "Oh, voglio darti qualche cosa anch'io: Ti darò la mitezza del cor mio!" Sentirono, di sù dal ciel, le stelle E dissero anche loro tutte 'n coro: "Noi daremo alle tue pupille belle La nostra luce..." E 'l sole: "Io darò l'oro Del mio colore a tuoi biondi capelli..." E l'usignolo primo tra li augelli: "Darò alle tue parole l'armonia Del canto ch'esce dalla gola mia!"
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), "Quando nasceste voi", P. 103 no. 1 (1915) [ voice and piano ], from Quattro Rispetti Toscani, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Joshua Breitzer) , "When you were born", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Garrett Medlock) , "When you were born", copyright © 2020, (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: 16
Word count: 108