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Giunt'é la Primavera e festosetti
La Salutan gl'Augei con lieto canto,
E i fonti allo Spirar de'Zeffiretti
Con dolce mormorio Scorrono intanto:
Vengon' coprendo l'aer di nero amanto
E Lampi, e tuoni ad annuntiarla eletti;
Indi tacendo questi, gl'Augelletti
Tornan' di nuovo al lor canoro incanto:
E quindi Sul fiorito ameno prato
Al caro mormorio di fronde e piante
Dorme'l Caprar col fido can' à lato.
Di pastoral Zampogna al Suon festante
Danzan Ninfe e Pastor nel tetto amato
Di primavera all'apparir brillante.
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Spring has come and with it gaiety,
the birds salute it with joyous song,
and the brooks, caressed by Zephyr's breath,
flow meanwhile with sweet murmurings:
The sky is covered with dark clouds,
announced by lightning and thunder.
But when they are silenced, the little birds
return to fill the air with their song:
Then does the meadow, in full flower,
ripple with its leafy plants.
The goatherd dozes, guarded by his faithful dog.
Rejoicing in the pastoral bagpipes,
Nymphs and Shepherds dance in the glade
for the radiant onset of Springtime.
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Sotto dura Staggion dal Sole accesa
Langue L’huom, langue ‘l gregge, ed arde il Pino;
Scioglie il Cucco la Voce, e tosto intesa
Canta la Tortorella e’l gardelino.
Zeffiro dolce Spira, mà contesa
Muove Borea improviso al Suo vicino;
E piange il Pastorel, perche Sospesa
Teme fiera borasca, e’l Suo destino;
Toglie alle membra lasse il Suo riposo
Il timore de’Lampi, e tuoni fieri
E de mosche, e mossoni il Stuol furioso!
Ah che pur troppo I Suoi timor Son veri
Tuona e fulmina il ciel e grandinoso
Tronca il capo alle Spiche e a’grani alteri.
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Under the heavy season of a burning sun,
man languishes, his herd wilts, the pine is parched;
the cuckoo finds its voice, and chiming in with it
the turtle-dove, the goldfinch.
Zephyr breathes gently but, contested,
the North-wind appears nearby and suddenly;
the shepherd sobs because, uncertain,
he fears the wild squall and its effects.
His weary limbs have no repose, goaded by
his fear of lightning and wild thunder;
while gnats and flies in furious swarms surround him.
Alas, his fears prove all too grounded,
thunder and lightning split the Heavens, and hailstones
slice the top of the corn and other grain.
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Celebra il Vilanel con balli e Canti
Del felice raccolto il bel piacere
E del liquor di Bacco accesi tanti
Finiscono col Sonno il lor godere.
Fà ch'ogn'uno tralasci e balli canti
L'aria che temperata dà piacere,
E la Staggion ch'invita tanti e tanti
I cacciator alla nov'alba à caccia
Con corni, Schioppi, e canni escono fuore
Fugge la belua, e Seguono la traccia;
Già Sbigottita, e lassa al gran rumore
De'Schioppi e canni, ferita minaccia
Languida di fuggir, mà oppressa muore.
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The country-folk celebrate, with dance and song,
the joy of gathering a bountiful harvest.
With Bacchus's liquor, quaffed liberally,
their joy finishes in slumber.
Each one renounces dance and song,
the mild air is pleasant,
and the season invites ever-increasingly
to savour a sweet slumber.
The hunters at dawn go to the hunt,
with horns and guns and dogs they sally forth,
the beasts flee, their trail is followed.
Already dismay'd and exhausted, from the great noise
of guns and dogs, threaten'd with wounds,
they flee, languishing, and die, cowering. |
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Aggiacciato tremar trà nevi algenti
Al Severo Spirar d'orrido Vento,
Correr battendo i piedi ogni momento;
E pel Soverchio gel batter i denti;
Passar al foco i di quieti e contenti
Mentre la pioggio fuor bagna ben cento;
Caminar Sopra'l giaccio, e à passo lento
Per timor di cader gersene intenti;
Gir forte Sdruzziolar, cader à terra,
Di nuovo ir Sopra 'l giaccio e correr forte
Sin ch'il giaccio Si rompe, e Si disserra;
Sentir uscir dalle ferrate porte
Sirocco, Borea, e tutti i Venti in guerra
Quest'è 'l verno, mà tal, che gioja apporte.
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Frozen and trembling among the chilly snow,
exposed to horrid winds,
our legs tremble with cold,
our teeth chatter with the frightful cold.
We move to the fire and contented peace,
while the rain outside pours in sheets.
Now we walk on the ice, with slow steps,
attentive how we walk, for fear of falling
If we move quickly, we slip and fall to earth,
again walking heavily on the ice,
until the ice breaks and dissolves.
We hear through the closed doors
Sirocco, Boreas and all the rushing winds at war -
this winter, but such as brings joy. |
English translations by H.C. Robbins Landon ©1992.
Put on your Italian accent and read the originals - it's a gorgeous language.
GLOSSARY
- Bacchus
- The Roman equivalent of the Greek god of wine and ecstasy, Dionysus.
- Boreas
- In Greek mythology, the son of Eos, goddess of the dawn, and the god of the North Wind. Often contrasted to Zephyros.
- Four Seasons, The
- 1) Spring, summer, autumn and winter. 2) Regular(?) climatic phenomenon that does not occur in Singapore.
- gnat
- another one of those tiny flying insects that hang around your head and tries to sting you, usually succeeding in annoying quantities.
- orang utan
- Advanced primate species that Vivaldi probably never encountered, which explains their absence in the sonnets.
- Sirroco
- A hot dusty wind from the Libyan deserts that blows onto the northern coast of the Mediterranean sea, including Italy.
- sonnet
- A form of poem consisting of a single stanza with 14 lines, sectioned and rhymed in a particular style. The ones above are in the form of the Italian or Petrarchan sonnet, which are divided into two parts of 8 (octave) and 6 lines (sestet), each with its own rhyme scheme (eg. abab abab cdc dcd).
- turtledove
- A bird, not a turtle.
- Zephyr
- A soft gentle west wind. It's from Zephyros, the Greek god of the West Wind.
This has been a service provided to our dear readers, specifically those of you who own recordings of the Four Seasons which do not supply the sonnets. Hope it helps and thanks for reading!
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