At midnight | When night turns dark

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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Translation © by John Glenn Paton

A mezzanotte

Language: Italian (Italiano)

Our translations: ENG SPA

Quando notte sarà oscura
e le stelle in ciel vedrai,
cheto, cheto mi verrai
nel mio asilo a ritrovar.
Nel silenzio della notte
dentr'all'umile mio tetto,
vieni pure, o mio diletto,
la tua ninfa a consolar:
canta pur la tua canzone
ch'io t'attendo sul balcone.
ah!

Ma non debbo a te soltanto
aprir l'uscio a notte bruna:
coprirebbesi la luna
vereconda in suo pudor.
Noi due soli non saremo,
verecondia nol consente,
vuò che un terzo sia presente
e quel terzo sia l'amor.
Canta pur la tua canzone,
ch'io t'attendo sul balcone,
io t'attendo a mezzanotte,
cheto cheto ne verrai,
noi due soli non saremo,
vuò che il terzo sia l'amor.
ah!

Text Authorship:

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [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 Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848), "A mezzanotte" [voice and piano], from Nuits d'Été à Pausilippe, no. 3. [ sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (John Glenn Paton) , "At midnight", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
SPA Spanish (Español) (Juan Henríquez Concepción) , "A medianoche", copyright © 2007, (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: 26
Word count: 112

At midnight

Language: English after the Italian (Italiano)

When night turns dark
and you see the stars in the sky,
silently, silently, you will come
to find my solitary dwelling.
In the silence of night
inside, under my humble roof,
come then, o my delight,
to make your darling happy.
Sing your song
while I wait for you on the balcony.
Ah!

But not for you alone must I
open the threshold to the dark night:
the moon in her modesty
would cover herself for shame.
We two will not be alone;
modesty would not allow it.
It wants a third person to be present,
and that third is love.
Then sing your song
while I wait for you on the balcony.
I expect you at midnight,
silently, silently you will come,
we two will not be alone,
the third must be love.
Ah!

Text Authorship:

Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2008 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Italian (Italiano) by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2008-12-30
Line count: 26
Word count: 136