Here’s the final chapter of my Italian translation of La Bella Addormentata (Sleeping Beauty). I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. This certainly isn’t everyday spoken Italian, and it was great to have an opportunity to use a style and vocabulary that I wouldn’t normally use.

Part 5.

Then the prince mounted higher, and saw in the hall the whole court lying asleep, and above them, on their thrones, slept the king and the queen. And still he went farther, and all was so quiet that he could hear his own breathing; and at last he came to the tower, and went up the winding stair, and opened the door of the little room where Rosamond lay.

Allora il principe salì più in alto, e nel salone vide l’intera corte che giaceva addormentata, e sopra di essi, sui loro troni, dormivano il re e la regina. E ancora andò oltre, ed era tutto così tranquillo che poteva udire il proprio respiro; e infine giunse alla torre, e salì la scala a chiocciola, e aprì la porta della stanzetta dove giaceva Rosaspina.

… e subito si chinò e la baciò. Illustration by Arthur Rackham, Public Domain.

And when he saw her looking so lovely in her sleep, he could not turn away his eyes; and presently he stooped and kissed her. And she awaked, and opened her eyes, and looked very kindly on him. And she rose, and they went forth together, and the king and the queen and whole court waked up, and gazed on each other with great eyes of wonderment.

E quando la vide così bella nel suo sonno, non poté distoglierne lo sguardo; e subito si chinò e la baciò. Ed ella si svegliò, e aprì gli occhi, e lo guardò con tanto affetto. Ed ella si alzò, e insieme si avviarono, e il re e la regina e tutta la corte si risvegliarono, e si guardarono l’un l’altro con grande stupore.

E i cavalli nel cortile si alzarono e si scrollarono, i levrieri saltarono su e scodinzolarono … Illustration by Arthur Rackham, Public Domain.

And the horses in the yard got up and shook themselves, the hounds sprang up and wagged their tails, the pigeons on the roof drew their heads from under their wings, looked round, and flew into the field, the flies on the wall crept on a little farther, the kitchen fire leapt up and blazed, and cooked the meat, the joint on the spit began to roast, the cook gave the scullion such a box on the ear that he roared out, and the maid went on plucking the fowl.

E i cavalli nel cortile si alzarono e si scrollarono, i levrieri saltarono su e scodinzolarono, i piccioni sul tetto tirarono fuori la testa da sotto l’ala, guardarono in giro, e volarono nei campi, le mosche sul muro si arrampicarono un po’ oltre, il fuoco della cucina fece una vampata e arse, e ricominciò a cuocere la carne, l’arrosto sullo spiedo cominciò a rosolare, il cuoco diede allo sguattero un tale schiaffo sull’orecchio che lo fece gridare, e la serva continuò a spennare il pollo.

Then the wedding of the Prince and Rosamond was held with all splendour, and they lived very happily together until their lives’ end.

Furono quindi celebrate con grande splendore le nozze del Principe e di Rosaspina, i quali vissero insieme felici e contenti fino alla fine dei loro giorni.

You can read the previous chapters by clicking on the following links:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4