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La Bella Addormentata – Part 2 Posted by on Jan 18, 2018 in Italian Language

Here’s part 2 of my Italian translation of the famous Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale La Bella Addormentata (Sleeping Beauty). You can read part 1 HERE.

Part 2.

Now the king, being desirous of saving his child even from this misfortune, gave commandment that all the spindles in his kingdom should be burnt up. The maiden grew up, adorned with all the gifts of the wise women; and she was so lovely, modest, sweet, and kind and clever, that no one who saw her could help loving her.

Ora il re, desideroso di salvare la sua bambina anche da questa disgrazia, dette ordine che tutti i fusi nel suo reame fossero bruciati. La fanciulla crebbe, adorna di tutti i doni delle fate; ed era così adorabile, modesta, dolce, e gentile e brava, che chiunque la vedeva non poteva che amarla.

“… girò la chiave e la porta si aprì”. Illustration by Arthur Rackham, Public Domain.

It happened one day, she being already fifteen years old, that the king and queen rode abroad, and the maiden was left behind alone in the castle. She wandered about into all the nooks and corners, and into all the chambers and parlours, as the fancy took her, till at last she came to an old tower. She climbed the narrow winding stair which led to a little door, with a rusty key sticking out of the lock; she turned the key, and the door opened, and there in the little room sat an old woman with a spindle, diligently spinning her flax.

Accadde un giorno, quando ella aveva già compiuto quindici anni, che il re e la regina andarono a fare un giro, e la fanciulla fu lasciata da sola al castello. Ella girovagò per tutti gli angoli, e per tutte le camere e le sale, a piacer suo, finché giunse ad una vecchia torre. Salì la stretta scala a chiocciola che la portò ad una porticina, dalla cui serratura spuntava una chiave arrugginita; girò la chiave e la porta si aprì, e lì nella stanzetta sedeva una vecchietta con un fuso, la quale filava con cura il suo lino.

“Good day, mother,” said the princess, “what are you doing?” – “I am spinning,” answered the old woman, nodding her head. “What thing is that that twists round so briskly?” asked the maiden, and taking the spindle into her hand she began to spin; but no sooner had she touched it than the evil prophecy was fulfilled, and she pricked her finger with it. In that very moment she fell back upon the bed that stood there, and lay in a deep sleep.

“Buongiorno, nonnina,” disse la principessa, “che cosa stai facendo?” – “Sto filando” rispose la vecchietta, facendo cenno con la testa. “Che cos’è quella cosa che gira così velocemente?” chiese la fanciulla, e preso in mano il fuso cominciò a filare; ma non appena lo toccò si adempì la funesta profezia, ed ella si punse il dito. All’istante cadde all’indietro sul letto che si trovava lì, e giacque in un sonno profondo.

End of Part 2.

You can read all the other chapters by clicking on the following links:

Part 1

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

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