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Un marinaio in mezzo al mare, con una barca ed un cannone. È andato là per fare la sua guerra ad un nemico che non ha mai visto. Con sé ha portato il ritratto di una donna, con qualche lettera, con i suoi sogni. Un marinaio in mezzo al mare con un nemico da mandare a fondo. Gli han detto che il nemico è uno strano essere che non ha cuore, che non sa sognare, gli han detto che chi ha dei sogni da difendere deve combattere contro il nemico. Un marinaio in mezzo al mare, il suo nemico ormai è andato a fondo, però qualcosa è rimasto sulle onde e lui va a vedere cosa mai può essere. Trova il ritratto di una donna e qualche lettera, sogni di un uomo andato a fondo. Ballata di un marinaio © 196? Luigi Tenco |
A seaman in the middle of the sea, with a boat and a cannon. He went there to make his war on an enemy he’s never seen. With him he brought the portrait of a woman, with some letters, with his dreams. A seaman in the middle of the sea with an enemy to send to the bottom. They told him that the enemy is a strange being, who doesn’t have a heart, who doesn’t know how to dream, they told him that whoever has some dreams to defend should fight against the enemy. A seaman in the middle of the sea, his enemy has by now gone to the bottom. But something remained on the waves, and he goes to see what ever can it be. He finds the portrait of a woman and some letters, the dreams of a man gone to the bottom. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser Luigi Tenco canta Tenco, De André, Jannacci, Bob Dylan was posthumously released in 1972. It contains recordings from when Tenco was with the Jolly label, which released his second album in 1965. Most of the songs were probably recorded in 1964 and 1965, all unreleased until this album. |
I began exploring Italian popular songs as part of learning Italian. Here are my translations for some of my favorite "canzoni" by Italian singers, songwriters, and bands whose work I admire. It's a work in progress that can serve as a curated introduction to Italian popular music, with an emphasis on the 1950s through the 1990s. If you speak Italian, send me a message if you see lyrics I've misunderstood.
