{"id":875,"date":"2011-08-05T15:17:10","date_gmt":"2011-08-05T15:17:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/?p=875"},"modified":"2011-08-05T15:17:10","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T15:17:10","slug":"fabrizio-de-andr-giovanna-darco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/fabrizio-de-andr-giovanna-darco\/","title":{"rendered":"Fabrizio De André – Giovanna d’Arco"},"content":{"rendered":"

(N.B. for the not too computer literate: clicking on the blue text below will take you to a web page or video)<\/font><\/em><\/p>\n

Fabrizio De Andr\u00e9<\/strong><\/font><\/a> \u2013 (born: Genova, 18 febbraio 1940 \u2013 passed away: Milano, 11 gennaio 1999) was one of our most important and revered cantautori italiani<\/strong> (Italian singer songwriters). I recently heard for the first time his version of Leonard Cohen\u2019s song  Joan of Arc<\/strong><\/font><\/a>. I know only too well how difficult it is to translate successfully from English to Italian and vice versa, especially when the text in question is poetry or a song, and it pays testimony to De Andr\u00e9\u2019s skill as a songwriter\/poet that he makes such a beautiful job of it in his version. See if you can spot the major changes made by De Andr\u00e9 in order to give the song fluidity and rhythm in Italian.<\/p>\n

Here is Giovanna d’Arco<\/strong><\/font><\/a><\/font> performed by De Andr\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Giovanna d’Arco<\/strong><\/p>\n

Attraverso il buio Giovanna d’Arco
precedeva le fiamme cavalcando,
nessuna luna per la sua  corazza ed il manto,
nessun uomo nella sua fumosa notte al suo fianco.
Della guerra sono stanca ormai,
al lavoro di un tempo tornerei,
a un vestito da sposa o a qualcosa di bianco
per nascondere questa mia vocazione al trionfo ed al pianto.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 
Son parole le tue che volevo ascoltare,
ti ho spiata ogni giorno cavalcare
e a sentirti cos\u00ec ora so cosa voglio:
vincere un’eroina cos\u00ec fredda, abbracciarne l’orgoglio.
E chi sei tu? lei disse divertendosi al gioco,
chi sei tu che mi parli cos\u00ec senza riguardo?
Veramente stai parlando col fuoco
e amo la tua solitudine, amo il tuo sguardo.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 
E se tu sei il fuoco raffreddati un poco,
le tue mani ora avranno da tenere qualcosa,
e tacendo gli si arrampic\u00f2 dentro
ad offrirgli il suo modo migliore di essere sposa.
E nel profondo del suo cuore rovente
lui prese ad avvolgere Giovanna d’Arco,
e l\u00e0 in alto e davanti alla gente
lui appese le ceneri inutili del suo abito bianco. <\/strong><\/p>\n

E fu dal profondo del suo cuore rovente
che lui prese Giovanna e la colp\u00ec nel segno
e lei cap\u00ec chiaramente
che se lui era il fuoco lei doveva essere il legno.<\/strong><\/p>\n

N.B. The following lines which are part of the original song by Cohen are not sung in this version by De Andr\u00e9 <\/p>\n

Ho visto la smorfia del suo dolore,
ho visto la gloria nel suo sguardo raggiante
anche io vorrei luce ed amore
ma se arriva deve essere sempre cos\u00ec crudele e accecante?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The original lyrics by Leonard Cohen<\/p>\n

Joan of Arc <\/p>\n

Now the flames they followed Joan of Arc
As she came riding through the dark;
No moon to keep her armor bright,
No man to get her through this very smoky night.
She said, I\u2019m tired of the war,
I want the kind of work I had before,
A wedding dress or something white
To wear upon my swollen appetite.<\/p>\n

 
Well, I\u2019m glad to hear you talk this way,
You know I\u2019ve watched you riding every day
And something in me yearns to win
Such a cold and lonesome heroine.
And who are you? she sternly spoke
To the one beneath the smoke.
Why, I\u2019m fire, he replied,
And I love your solitude, I love your pride.<\/p>\n

 
Then fire, make your body cold,
I\u2019m going to give you mine to hold,
Saying this she climbed inside
To be his one, to be his only bride.
And deep into his fiery heart
He took the dust of Joan of Arc,
And high above the wedding guests
He hung the ashes of her wedding dress.<\/p>\n

 
It was deep into his fiery heart
He took the dust of Joan of Arc,
And then she clearly understood
If he was fire, oh then she must be wood.
I saw her wince, I saw her cry,
I saw the glory in her eye.
Myself I long for love and light,
But must it come so cruel, and oh so bright? <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Which version do you prefer?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(N.B. for the not too computer literate: clicking on the blue text below will take you to a web page or video) Fabrizio De Andr\u00e9 \u2013 (born: Genova, 18 febbraio 1940 \u2013 passed away: Milano, 11 gennaio 1999) was one of our most important and revered cantautori italiani (Italian singer songwriters). I recently heard for…<\/p>\n

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