L'arcobaleno - The Rainbow

Io son partito poi così d'improvviso Che non ho avuto il tempo di salutare Istante breve, ma ancora più breve Se c'è una luce che trafigge il tuo cuore L'arcobaleno è il mio messaggio d'amore Può darsi un giorno ti riesca a toccare Con i colori si può cancellare Il più avvilente e desolante squallore Son diventato, sai, il tramonto di sera E parlo come le foglie d'aprile E vivrò dentro ad ogni voce sincera E con gli uccelli vivo il canto sottile E il mio discorso più bello e più denso Esprime con il silenzio il suo senso Io quante cose non avevo capito Che sono chiare come stelle cadenti E devo dirti che è un piacere infinito Portare queste mie valige pesanti Mi manchi tanto, amico caro, davvero E tante cose son rimaste da dire Ascolta sempre e solo musica vera E cerca sempre, se puoi, di capire! Son diventato, sai, il tramonto di sera E parlo come le foglie d'aprile E vivrò dentro ad ogni voce sincera E con gli uccelli vivo il canto sottile E il mio discorso più bello e più denso Esprime con il silenzio il suo senso Mi manchi tanto, amico caro, davvero E tante cose son rimaste da dire Ascolta sempre e solo musica vera E cerca sempre, se puoi, di capire! Ascolta sempre e solo musica vera E cerca sempre, se puoi, di capire! Ascolta sempre e solo musica vera E cerca sempre, se puoi, di capire... L'arcobaleno © 1999 Mogol, Gianni Bella "L'arcobaleno" was dedicated to Lucio Battisti, who passed away only a few months prior to the release of this album. Battisti was a friend of Celentano, and the Battisti-Mogol partnership practically defined Italian pop music of the 1970s. An urban legend grew up around this song, whereby Battisti contacted a medium, instructed her to purchase a certain book with a chapter that talked about rainbows, and then directed her to contact Mogol and with instructions to write a song on the topic. Parallel to that, another person published a dream wherein Mogol came to him and spoke about rainbows. Finally, a week after writing the song, a rainbow touched down on the hood of Mogol's car while he was driving on a freeway. Later, the medium confessed to making the whole thing up.

I left then so suddenly that I didn’t have time to say goodbye. A brief moment, but briefer still if there’s a light that pierces your heart. The rainbow is my message of love, maybe one day it’ll manage to touch you. With colors one can cancel the most disheartening and distressing misery. I became, you know, the evening sunset and I talk like the April leaves, and I will live inside every sincere voice, and with the birds I live the subtle singing, and my finest and fullest discourse expresses with silence its sense. So many things I didn’t understand that are as bright as shooting stars, and I must tell you that it’s an infinite pleasure to carry these heavy bags of mine. I miss you so, dear friend, truly, and so many things remain to be said. Listen always and only to true music and always seek, if you can, to understand! I became, you know, the evening sunset and I talk like the April leaves, and I will live inside every sincere voice, and with the birds I live the subtle singing, and my finest and fullest discourse expresses with silence its sense. I miss you so, dear friend, truly, and so many things remain to be said. Listen always and only to true music and always seek, if you can, to understand! Listen always and only to true music and always seek, if you can, to understand! Listen always and only to true music and always seek, if you can, to understand . . . English translation © 2021 Dennis Criteser Io non so parlar d'amore was Celentano's first collaboration with the celebrated lyricist Mogol and Gianni Bella for the music on most of the songs. Released in 1999, the album remained in the charts for two years and is one of the most successful of his long career.