Songs

Pioggia

by Ottorino Respighi From 6 Liriche

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Text & Translation

Pioggia
Italian source: Vittoria Aganoor Pompilj

Piovea: per le finestre spalancate
A quella tregua di ostinati odori
Saliano dal giardin fresche folate
D'erbe risorte e di risorti fiori

S'acchettava il tumulto dei colori
Sotto il vel delle gocciole implorate;
E intorno ai pioppi ai frassini agli allori
Beveano ingorde le zolle assetate.

Esser pianta, esser foglia, esser stelo
E nell'angoscia dell'ardor (pensavo)
Così largo ristoro aver dal cielo!

Sul davanzal protesa io gli arboscelli,
I fiori, l'erbe guardavo guardavo
E mi battea la pioggia sui capelli.

Rain
English translation © Margaret Baker Genovesi

It was raining: through the windows, opened wide
To the respite of the persistent fragrances,
There wafted from the garden cool gusts
Of revived grass and revived flowers.

The tumult of colours calmed down
Beneath the veil of the longed-for droplets;
And around the poplars, the ashes and the laurels
The thirsty clods of earth drank greedily.

Oh, to be a plant! To be a leaf, to be a stem,
And in the anguish of passion (I reflected)
To receive such great renewal from the sky!

Leaning out over the windowsill I watched
And watched the bushes, the flowers, the grass,
While the rain beat down on my hair.

Reprinted with permission from the LiederNet Archive

Pioggia
Italian source: Vittoria Aganoor Pompilj

Rain
English source: Margaret Baker Genovesi

Piovea: per le finestre spalancate
It was raining: through the windows, opened wide
A quella tregua di ostinati odori
To the respite of the persistent fragrances,
Saliano dal giardin fresche folate
There wafted from the garden cool gusts
D'erbe risorte e di risorti fiori
Of revived grass and revived flowers.

S'acchettava il tumulto dei colori
The tumult of colours calmed down
Sotto il vel delle gocciole implorate;
Beneath the veil of the longed-for droplets;
E intorno ai pioppi ai frassini agli allori
And around the poplars, the ashes and the laurels
Beveano ingorde le zolle assetate.
The thirsty clods of earth drank greedily.

Esser pianta, esser foglia, esser stelo
Oh, to be a plant! To be a leaf, to be a stem,
E nell'angoscia dell'ardor (pensavo)
And in the anguish of passion (I reflected)
Così largo ristoro aver dal cielo!
To receive such great renewal from the sky!

Sul davanzal protesa io gli arboscelli,
Leaning out over the windowsill I watched
I fiori, l'erbe guardavo guardavo
And watched the bushes, the flowers, the grass,
E mi battea la pioggia sui capelli.
While the rain beat down on my hair.

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