by
Giuseppe Zaffira (flourished 1868-1886)
Le labbra ella compose ad un sorriso
Language: Italian (Italiano)
Available translation(s): ENG
Le labbra ella compose ad un sorriso
Che avrebbe quasi affascinato il sole,
Poi, nel guardarmi, la si fece in viso
Color delle viole
Ond'io (vedete dove il timor si mette!)
Rimasi imbarazzato nel saluto,
E le volendo dir mille cosette
Stetti le labbra muto
Timido fatto, ed ella ognor modesta,
Ci guardammo senza nulla dire.
Ma nel toccarle un lembo della vesta,
io mi sentii morire.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by (Paul) Jules Barbier (1825 - 1901) ; composed by Charles Gounod.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "She composed her lips into a smile", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2004-08-03
Line count: 12
Word count: 67
She composed her lips into a smile
Language: English  after the Italian (Italiano)
She composed her lips into a smile
That would have fascinated the sun,
Then, upon seeing me, her face turned
The color of violets.
So I (see where fear leads you!)
Was embarrassed as I greeted her,
And, wanting to tell her a thousand trifles
My lips refused to speak.
I had become timid, and she was, as always, modest,
We stared at each other with nothing to say.
But as I touched the hem of her dress,
I felt myself die.
Translator's note on line 2-4: "My lips refused to speak", literally, “stood mute”.
Authorship:
- Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2016 by Laura Prichard, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in Italian (Italiano) by Giuseppe Zaffira (flourished 1868-1886), no title
This text was added to the website: 2016-02-08
Line count: 12
Word count: 82