Il regno dell'Eden - The Realm of Eden

Ho camminato lungo i sentieri Di valli senza anima Ho vagato per i boschi Con la sola compagnia delle querce Ho percorso tutte le rive dei fiumi Nutrendomi d'erba, bevendo gocce di rugiada Tuffandomi nelle parti di acqua chiara Purificandomi l'anima Alla sera poi, ombre giganti Mi si avvicinano ed io avevo paura Ma non sentivo niente Neanche il soffio del vento. Udivo Solamente il rumore del mio sangue Che scorreva lentamente Ed il battito del mio cuore Che aumentava sempre più Togliendomi il respiro Quando mi svegliai Mi trovai in un giardino Con le pianticelle di melo dorato E gli usignoli con le piume di cristallo Saltellavano su manciate di rubini Poi arrivò una folla di Santi Tutti vestiti di bianco Sopra delle nuvole rosa Mi avvolsero nell'aureo manto Poi mi adagiarono sopra una Nuvoletta bianca Con le ali di un cigno fatato E tutti i Santi mi seguirono Verso il favoloso regno dell'Eden Lungo la strada intravedevo due frati Che passeggiavano tenendo per mano un pinguino E Maria Maddalena che faceva da mangiare Ai polli e alle galline del suo cortile E San Giuseppe che masticava del tabacco Uscendo da un Monastero Con un fiasco di vino in mano Poi arrivai alle soglie dell'Eden Con il volto illuminato Da un arcobaleno Due arcangeli squillarono le trombe E mi aprirono le porte Quando entrai c'era un vescovo rosso Con i guanti di raso Che mi diede il benvenuto Ed un fanciullo biondo Percorreva i labirinti Di una ragnatela dorata Facendo qua e là Qualche capriola Poi venne una serva Mi pulì le scarpe Mi diede un grappolo d'uva Poi mi portò l'aureola E mi fece sedere sul trono principale Ed ora sono io che comando Sono io il Creatore Io mi sento un padreterno Io sono il Divino Faccio un gesto ed ecco l'acqua Faccio un altro gesto ed ecco il sole Mi giro su me stesso e piglio la luna La stella cometa e un grosso pianeta Ecco un passerotto che spiega le ali E spicca il primo volo Vola il vento Le farfalle le libellule Io sono il Creatore Io sono il Divino E rimango seduto sul trono principale Il regno dell'Eden © 1974 Juri Camisasca

I walked along the trails of valleys without soul. I wandered through the forests with only the company of oaks. I followed all the riverbanks, feeding on grass, drinking drops of dew, diving into the parts of clear water, purifying the soul. At night, then, gigantic shadows drew near and I was afraid, but I didn’t hear anything, not even a breath of wind. I heard only the sound of my blood, which coursed slowly, and the beating of my heart that increased ever more, taking my breath away. When I awoke, I found myself in a garden with golden apple seedling, and songbirds with crystal feathers hopped around on handfuls of rubies. Then a crowd of Saints arrived, all dressed in white. Above some pink clouds they wrapped me in the golden mantle, then they gently placed me over a small white cloud with the wings of a fairy swan, and all the Saints followed me towards the fabled realm of Eden. Along the road I glimpsed two friars who walked along holding the hand of a penguin. And Mary Magdalene who was preparing food for the chickens and roosters of her courtyard, and St. Joseph who was chewing some tobacco coming out of a monastery with a flask of wine in hand. Then I arrived at the threshold of Eden with a face illuminated by a rainbow. Two archangels sounded the trumpets and they opened the door for me. When I entered, there was a red bishop with silk gloves who gave me the blessing, and a young blonde boy followed the labyrinths of a golden spiderweb, doing here and there some somersaults. Then a servant came, he cleaned my shoes, he gave me a bunch of grapes. Then he brought me the halo and made me sit on the principal throne, and now it is I who commands, it is I, the Creator. I feel like an Eternal Father, I am the Divine I make a gesture and here’s water. I make another gesture and here’s the sun. I look around myself and grab the moon, a shooting star, and a huge planet. Here’s a sparrow who spreads its wings and takes its first flight. The wind flies, the butterflies, the dragonflies. I am the Creator, I am the Divine, and I remain seated on the principal throne. English translation © 2021 Dennis Criteser La finestra dentro (The Window Within) was released in 1974 on the independent Bla Bla label, known for its progressive rock and avantgarde releases. Juri Camisasca met Franco Battiato during their military service, after which Battiato used Camisasca on a couple of projects and introduced him to the recording world. This album shows how the boundaries of traditional Italian pop music were being obliterated in pursuit of more personal, idiosyncratic, and non-commercial musical expressions. The songs themselves are in the singer/songwriter vein, but the lyrics are well outside the mainstream, and Camisasca's vocal experimentation and explorations take this album into another realm, with Camisasca expressing the existential discomfort that he felt in the years prior to his discovery of Christ and his becoming a Benedictine monk. The album was produced by Franco Battiato and Bla Bla's founder, Pino Massara.