ORR232_ Book.qxd

composed in the early 1830s, just after he had written his final opera,
Guillaume Tell. Much later, he wrote a sequence of songs about the regatta, in
the Album italiano of his Péchés de vieillesse (Sins of old age).
Voga o Tonio benedeto Row, O Tonio, my good man,
Voga, voga, arranca, arranca: row, row, harder, harder:
Beppe el suda, el batte l’anca Beppe is sweating, losing heart,
Poverazzo el nol pò più, poor devil, he can’t go on,
Voga, voga, voga su! row, row, keep rowing!
Caro Beppe el me vecchieto Dear old Beppe,
No straccarte col te remo; don’t exhaust yourself rowing:
Za ghe semo, spinze, daghe, you’re almost there, almost
voga più. there, pull harder!
Ziel pietoso una novizza Good heavens, your future bride,
C’ha el so ben nella regada, as you well know is expecting you
at the finish
Fala o zielo consolada, make her happy, for goodness sake,
No la far stentarde più don’t make her suffer anymore!
Voga o Tonio benedeto ... Row, O Tonio, my good man ...
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