Journal of Italian Translation

Gil Fagiani/Cesare Fagiani
People
-- Keep away from the mountain: there’s fire!
Don’t turn to the right: there’s wind over there!
Over towards the left there’s water, you’ll drown!
Only go backwards or even better
stay nailed to the spot where you find yourself! --
So say the people if you try to move.
But it’s best not to listen to those bells:
listen to your heart, laugh and travel far!
Love and song
My love, I would compose for you a song
one of those hammered and forged in fire,
polished the way it should be and blended
with notes that are shiny and passionate.
To find time to make something beautiful
maybe I would even go to prison,
and wouldn’t sleep for an entire year
because night time brings on such a somber tone!
And I’d do this not out of vanity
like so many others do, my darling
but just to sing to you in a full voice
a sweet little melody, spanking new,
to say that because of my love for you
this heart of mine has become a songsmith.
Love Talk
Whenever we believe there’s nothing more
that could possibly be said for the day
then first ... I speak and afterwards you speak ...
and we’re ready to shoot the breeze some more.
And what do we say? Things already told
said and resaid just between me and you
becomes for us, because we are in love,
things that have greater value than Perù.
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