L'ombra e la macchina da cucire - The Umbrella and the Sewing Machine

Ero solo come un ombrello su una Macchina da cucire Dalle pendici dei monti Iblei A settentrione Ho percorso il cammino, arrampicandomi Per universi e mondi Con atti di pensiero e umori cerebrali L’abisso non mi chiama, sto sul ciglio Come un cespuglio: quieto come un insetto Che si prende il sole Scendevo lungo il fiume scrollando le spalle..... Che cena infame stasera Che pessimo vino Chiacchiero col vicino Lei non ha finezza Non sa sopportare l’ebbrezza Colgo frasi occidentali (Ragioni sociali mi obbligano all'amore, all'umanita) Schizzano dal cervello i pensieri - Fini le calze La Coscienza trascendentale No l’Idea si incarna Dice che questa estate Ci sarà la fine del mondo The end of the world Berretto di pelo e sottanina di tàrtan Have we cold feet about the cosmos? Ero solo come un ombrello su una macchina da cucire Dalle pendici dei monti Iblei A settentrione Ho percorso il cammino, arrampicandomi Per universi e mondi Con atti di pensiero e umori cerebrali (Ragioni sociali mi obbligano all'amore, all'umanita) L'ombrella e la macchina da cucire © 1995 Franco Battiato & Manlio Sgalambro Welcome to the new world of Battiato/Sgalambro, a world where the lyrics are replete with references to philosophy and literature. The choral interlude mid-song is a fragment from the opera Il cavaliere dell'intelletto, written in 1994 by Battiato and Sgalambro to celebrate the 800th birthday of the amazing Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, whose kingdom was based in Palermo, Sicily. There is also a reference to the opposing positions of Kant ("Transcendental Consciousness") and Hegel ("the Idea incarnates") as regards the nature of thought and reality (transcendental idealism vs. absolute idealism).

I was alone with an umbrella over a sewing machine. On the slopes of the Hyblaean Mountains in the north, I followed the road, scrambling along for universes and worlds with acts of thought and cerebral fluids. The abyss doesn’t call me, I stay on the edge like a bush: quiet as an insect that takes in the sun. I descended along the river rolling my shoulders. What a foul meal this evening, what horrible wine. I chat with the neighbor. She isn’t very refined, she doesn’t know how to handle intoxication. I understand western phrases. (Social reasons compel me towards love, towards humanity.) The thoughts splash out from my brain – the ends, the stockings, Transcendental Consciousness. No, the Idea incarnates. It says that this summer will be the end of the world, the end of the world. Fur beret and plaid sottanina - have we cold feet about the cosmos? I was alone with an umbrella over a sewing machine. On the slopes of the Iblei Mountains in the south, I followed the road, scrambling along for universes and worlds with acts of thought and cerebral fluids. (Social reasons compel me towards love, towards humanity.) English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser L'ombrella e la macchina da cucire was released in 1995. It was recorded at Battiato's home using only electronic instruments, and for him it was somewhat of a return to the musical experimentation that characterized his 1970s work. The lyrics were written by Manlio Sgalambro, the Sicilian philosopher who said that, for him, Hegel's The Phenomenology of Spirit sung like music in his ears. References to philosophy and literature abound; the title of the album is taken from a line by the French poet Isidore Ducasse: "Beautiful as a chance encounter between a sewing machine and an umbrella on an operating table." This line, according to Max Ernst, is the key to understanding surrealist poetry - "the search for beauty through the pairing of two seemingly irreconcilable realities." Battiato felt liberated by not having to write lyrics, and he was stimulated to explore and discover new musical realms by the different aesthetic that Sgalambro brought to wordsmithing, one that flows from a man in many ways his opposite. Sgalambro described it this way: "Spiritual, transcendent, ascetic the first [Battiato]. Materialist, fleeting, anti-poetic, even cynical, the second [Sgalambro]."

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Breve invito a rinviare il suicidio - Brief Invite to Put Off Suicide

Va bene, hai ragione Se ti vuoi ammazzare Vivere è un offesa Che desta indignazione... Ma per ora rimanda... E' solo un breve invito, rinvialo Va bene, hai ragione Se ti vuoi sparare Un giorno lo farai Con determinazione Ma per ora rimanda... E' solo un breve invito, rinvialo Questa parvenza di vita Ha reso antiquato il suicidio Questa parvenza di vita, signore Non lo merita... Solo una migliore Breve invito a rinviare il suicidio © 1995 Franco Battiato & Manlio Sgalambro "Breve invito a rinviare il suicidio" is based on a chapter of the same name from Sgalambro's book Theory of Song, published in 1997.

It’s fine, you’re right if you want to kill yourself. Living is an offense that deserves indignation . . . But for now, postpone . . . It’s only a brief invite, put it off. It’s fine, you’re right if you want to shoot yourself. One day I’ll do it with determination, but for now, postpone . . . It’s only a brief invite, put it off. This semblance of life has rendered suicide antiquated. This semblance of life, sir, doesn’t merit it . . . Only a better one. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser L'ombrella e la macchina da cucire was released in 1995. It was recorded at Battiato's home using only electronic instruments, and for him it was somewhat of a return to the musical experimentation that characterized his 1970s work. The lyrics were written by Manlio Sgalambro, the Sicilian philosopher who said that, for him, Hegel's The Phenomenology of Spirit sung like music in his ears. References to philosophy and literature abound; the title of the album is taken from a line by the French poet Isidore Ducasse: "Beautiful as a chance encounter between a sewing machine and an umbrella on an operating table." This line, according to Max Ernst, is the key to understanding surrealist poetry - "the search for beauty through the pairing of two seemingly irreconcilable realities." Battiato felt liberated by not having to write lyrics, and he was stimulated to explore and discover new musical realms by the different aesthetic that Sgalambro brought to wordsmithing, one that flows from a man in many ways his opposite. Sgalambro described it this way: "Spiritual, transcendent, ascetic the first [Battiato]. Materialist, fleeting, anti-poetic, even cynical, the second [Sgalambro]."

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Piccolo pub - Little Pub

Vi saluto amici, ci vedremo domani..... Se la notte non fa il suo colpo stanotte Trombe irreali, ululano cani, si sentono Odo marcette militari Nel '43, ero malato Vidi tutta la mia vita Sudato scorreva finita Vi saluto, amici, ci vedremo domani.... Se la notte non fa il suo colpo stanotte Cerimonioso, entro Nel suo centro vitale (L'armatura rimanda la Luce Originale.) Guerriero della vita Sospendo le armi e la battaglia Birra e urina Si scambiano le parti: La latrina è il tuo caveau Liquido vitale scorre in entrambe Regalo della notte, piccolo pub Nessuno o tutt'uno Vacca nera sono Gatto grigio nella tua notte Nessuno o tutt'uno Vacca nera sei Gatto grigio nella mia note © 1995 Franco Battiato & Manlio Sgalambro In "Piccolo pub," Sgalambro offers Battiato a lyric far from the spiritual realms explored throughout his career to this point. From "the domain of Pre-existence" to "beer and urine" in two short years!

Farewell friends, see you tomorrow . . . if the night doesn’t make its hit tonight. Unreal trumpets, dogs howl, I hear military marches. In ’43, I was sick, I saw my whole life, sweaty, it ran to its end. Farewell friends, see you tomorrow . . . if the night doesn’t make its hit tonight. Primly, I enter into your vital center . (The armor sends back the Original Light.) Warrior of life, I suspend the arms and the battle. Beer and urine exchange their parts: the latrine is your vault, vital liquid runs in both. Gift of the night, little pub. No one or all-one, black cow am I, gray cat in your night. No one or all-one, black cow am I, gray cat in your night. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser L'ombrella e la macchina da cucire was released in 1995. It was recorded at Battiato's home using only electronic instruments, and for him it was somewhat of a return to the musical experimentation that characterized his 1970s work. The lyrics were written by Manlio Sgalambro, the Sicilian philosopher who said that, for him, Hegel's The Phenomenology of Spirit sung like music in his ears. References to philosophy and literature abound; the title of the album is taken from a line by the French poet Isidore Ducasse: "Beautiful as a chance encounter between a sewing machine and an umbrella on an operating table." This line, according to Max Ernst, is the key to understanding surrealist poetry - "the search for beauty through the pairing of two seemingly irreconcilable realities." Battiato felt liberated by not having to write lyrics, and he was stimulated to explore and discover new musical realms by the different aesthetic that Sgalambro brought to wordsmithing, one that flows from a man in many ways his opposite. Sgalambro described it this way: "Spiritual, transcendent, ascetic the first [Battiato]. Materialist, fleeting, anti-poetic, even cynical, the second [Sgalambro]."

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Fornicazione - Fornication

Fornicammo mentre i fiori si schiudevano Al mattino e di noi prendemmo piacere Sì, l'un l'altro. Libero Ora la mia mente andava Seguiva le orme delle cose che pensava Una canzoncina ardita mi premeva Le ossa del costato... E, il desiderio di tenere Le tue tenere dita Libero, libero Vorrei tra giaculatorie di versi spirare - E rosari composti di spicchi d'arancia E l'aria del mare E l'odore marcio di un vecchio porto E come pesce putrefatto putrefare Libero, libero, libero, libero. Fornicammo mentre i fiori si schiudevano Al mattino e di noi prendemmo piacere Sì, l'un l'altro, sì, l'un l'altro, Sì, l'un l'altro, sì, l'un l'altro, Libero, libero, libero, libero. Fornicazione © 1995 Franco Battiato & Manlio Sgalambro After the first verse, there appears a fragment of a poem by Rafia Rashed recorded in a Cairo museum and used by the Italian prog rock/fusion band Area at the beginning of their song "Luglio, agosto, settembre (nero)" - "Come and let's live my beloved / and peace will be our cover. / I want you to sing, light of my eyes."

We fornicated while the flowers unfolded in the morning and we took pleasure in ourselves. Yes, each other. Free. Now my mind went, followed the tracks of the things it thought. A daring little ditty pressed the bones of my chest . . . and the desire to hold your tender fingers. I'd like between ejaculations of verses to expire – and rosaries made of orange slices and the sea air and the fetid smell of an old port, and like rotting fish, to decay. Free, free, free, free. We fornicated while the flowers unfolded in the morning and we took pleasure in ourselves. Yes, each other, yes, each other. Yes, each other, yes, each other. Free, free, free, free. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser L'ombrella e la macchina da cucire was released in 1995. It was recorded at Battiato's home using only electronic instruments, and for him it was somewhat of a return to the musical experimentation that characterized his 1970s work. The lyrics were written by Manlio Sgalambro, the Sicilian philosopher who said that, for him, Hegel's The Phenomenology of Spirit sung like music in his ears. References to philosophy and literature abound; the title of the album is taken from a line by the French poet Isidore Ducasse: "Beautiful as a chance encounter between a sewing machine and an umbrella on an operating table." This line, according to Max Ernst, is the key to understanding surrealist poetry - "the search for beauty through the pairing of two seemingly irreconcilable realities." Battiato felt liberated by not having to write lyrics, and he was stimulated to explore and discover new musical realms by the different aesthetic that Sgalambro brought to wordsmithing, one that flows from a man in many ways his opposite. Sgalambro described it this way: "Spiritual, transcendent, ascetic the first [Battiato]. Materialist, fleeting, anti-poetic, even cynical, the second [Sgalambro]."

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Gesualdo da Venosa

Io, contemporaneo della fine del mondo Non vedo il bagliore Né il buio che segue Né lo schianto Né il piagnisteo Ma la verità Da miliardi di anni Farsi lampo Concerto n° 4 in do minore Per archi di Baldassarre Galuppi (te, piccolo, minutissimo Mazzetto di fiori di campo) La settima frase di Ornithology L'ultima, prima della cadenza e dal da capo Via, il noto balzo da uccello, sull'ultima nota Di Charlie... (Pensiero causale - Imperativo categorico - Ferma distinzione dell'uomo dall'animale Teorema adiabatico!) I madrigali di Gesualdo, principe di Venosa Musicista assassino della sposa - Cosa importa? Scocca la sua nota Dolce come rosa Gesualdo da Venosa © 1995 Franco Battiato & Manlio Sgalambro Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa was a late 16th, early 17th century composer of sophisticated madrigals and sacred music. He is also known for brutally killing his wife and her lover when he discovered them in the act. Also appearing in this pot-pourri of lyrics: a concerto by a Venetian composer, a bebop standard composed by Charlie "Bird" Parker, a philosophical concept from Immanuel Kant and a theorem from quantum mechanics.

I, contemporary of the end of the world, don’t see the glow, nor the darkness that follows, nor the crash nor the whimper. But the truth from billions of years becomes a flash. Concerto in C Minor for strings by Baldassarre Galuppi. (you, small, incredibly minute bunch of flowers of the field) The seventh phrase of “Ornithology,” the last, before the solos and from the top, away, the well-known bird leap, on the final note of Charlie . . . (Causal reasoning – Categorical imperative – Firm distinction of man from animal Adiabatic theorem!) The madrigals of Gesualdo, prince of Venosa, musician assassin of his wife. What matters? His note strikes sweet like a rose. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser L'ombrella e la macchina da cucire was released in 1995. It was recorded at Battiato's home using only electronic instruments, and for him it was somewhat of a return to the musical experimentation that characterized his 1970s work. The lyrics were written by Manlio Sgalambro, the Sicilian philosopher who said that, for him, Hegel's The Phenomenology of Spirit sung like music in his ears. References to philosophy and literature abound; the title of the album is taken from a line by the French poet Isidore Ducasse: "Beautiful as a chance encounter between a sewing machine and an umbrella on an operating table." This line, according to Max Ernst, is the key to understanding surrealist poetry - "the search for beauty through the pairing of two seemingly irreconcilable realities." Battiato felt liberated by not having to write lyrics, and he was stimulated to explore and discover new musical realms by the different aesthetic that Sgalambro brought to wordsmithing, one that flows from a man in many ways his opposite. Sgalambro described it this way: "Spiritual, transcendent, ascetic the first [Battiato]. Materialist, fleeting, anti-poetic, even cynical, the second [Sgalambro]."

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Moto browniano - Brownian Motion

Un frammento della Sfinge E altro Sospesi in acqua... Moto browniano Particelle di polline Pulviscolo londinese Un frammento della Sfinge E altro Sospesi in acqua... Provo sdegno verso alberi e fogliami Foreste onnipossenti Mi invita una terra spoglia Senza tracce di vita Uguali l'uragano E il tenue soffio di vento..... Mi tentano paesaggi Senza alcuna idea di movimento.... Dove l'immoto echeggia – riposi Moto browniano © 1995 Franco Battiato & Manlio Sgalambro "Moto browniano" pairs the molecular world of incessant and random motion (known as Brownian motion) with an almost science-fiction world where not even the idea of motion exists (this part of the lyric is an adaptation of Sgalambro's 1991 work Of Brief Thought (Del Pensare Breve); to give a sense of how he altered the original, the final three lines of the last verse were boiled down from this: "They tempt me, lunar landscapes, spongy, where the rocky mass lies inert, without any idea of movement. Where motionlessness echoes antique reposes.").

a fragment of the Sphynx, and more, suspended in water . . . Brownian motion – particles of pollen, London particulates, a fragment of the Sphynx, and more, suspended in water . . . I feel disdain for trees and foliage, omnipresent forests. A barren land invites me, with no trace of life, equal the hurricane and the soft breath of wind . . . They tempt me, landscapes without any idea of movement . . . Where motionlessness echoes – reposes. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser L'ombrella e la macchina da cucire was released in 1995. It was recorded at Battiato's home using only electronic instruments, and for him it was somewhat of a return to the musical experimentation that characterized his 1970s work. The lyrics were written by Manlio Sgalambro, the Sicilian philosopher who said that, for him, Hegel's The Phenomenology of Spirit sung like music in his ears. References to philosophy and literature abound; the title of the album is taken from a line by the French poet Isidore Ducasse: "Beautiful as a chance encounter between a sewing machine and an umbrella on an operating table." This line, according to Max Ernst, is the key to understanding surrealist poetry - "the search for beauty through the pairing of two seemingly irreconcilable realities." Battiato felt liberated by not having to write lyrics, and he was stimulated to explore and discover new musical realms by the different aesthetic that Sgalambro brought to wordsmithing, one that flows from a man in many ways his opposite. Sgalambro described it this way: "Spiritual, transcendent, ascetic the first [Battiato]. Materialist, fleeting, anti-poetic, even cynical, the second [Sgalambro]."

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Tao

Tao, ama secondo il Tao Ritieni il seme Duecentocinquanta milioni di spermatozoi In un solo orgasmo Un solo uomo può popolare la terra Tao © 1995 Franco Battiato & Manlio Sgalambro "Tao" - advice for men on their sexual practices from an argumentative, quasi-nihilist, self-taught Sicilian philosopher, delivered in a warped, very non-commercial "pop" song by Battiato.

Tao, love according to the Tao – retain the seed. Two hundred fifty million spermatozoa in a single orgasm – one single man can populate the earth. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser L'ombrella e la macchina da cucire was released in 1995. It was recorded at Battiato's home using only electronic instruments, and for him it was somewhat of a return to the musical experimentation that characterized his 1970s work. The lyrics were written by Manlio Sgalambro, the Sicilian philosopher who said that, for him, Hegel's The Phenomenology of Spirit sung like music in his ears. References to philosophy and literature abound; the title of the album is taken from a line by the French poet Isidore Ducasse: "Beautiful as a chance encounter between a sewing machine and an umbrella on an operating table." This line, according to Max Ernst, is the key to understanding surrealist poetry - "the search for beauty through the pairing of two seemingly irreconcilable realities." Battiato felt liberated by not having to write lyrics, and he was stimulated to explore and discover new musical realms by the different aesthetic that Sgalambro brought to wordsmithing, one that flows from a man in many ways his opposite. Sgalambro described it this way: "Spiritual, transcendent, ascetic the first [Battiato]. Materialist, fleeting, anti-poetic, even cynical, the second [Sgalambro]."

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Un vecchio cameriere - An Old Waiter

Splendore inconsumato Di tutto l'universo, fiato Punto fermo del cosmo: Terra, desolata.......... Qualcuno ci lancia nella vita Questa nella coscienza: Anche quella di un povero commesso Che nel tempo stesso Apre gli occhi rabbrividendo Al giorno Che gli ghigna attorno Ein alter Kellner Un vecchio cameriere Anche la sua coscienza Getta sulla terra - Dolori e sofferenza I piedi che gli dolgono La moglie pazza E quanto gliene viene Dal fatto che egli è un uomo E appartiene alla razza Un giorno amò Ora si fa il bucato Sognando il re che sarebbe stato Mentre il pensiero di te Si unisce a quel che penso E i cicli del mondo si susseguono Issami su corde per vie canoniche Ascendendo e discendendo Non fate crescere niente Su questa terra Ein alter Kellner Un vecchio cameriere Anche la sua coscienza Getta sulla terra - Dolori e sofferenza I piedi che gli dolgono La moglie pazza E quanto gliene viene Dal fatto che egli è un uomo E appartiene alla razza Non fate crescere niente Su questa terra Ein alter Kellner Un vecchio cameriere © 1995 Franco Battiato & Manlio Sgalambro Battiato set the lyrics of "Un vecchio cameriere" in the Adagio of Franz Joseph Haydn's String Quartet in D Major, Op. 64.

Consumed splendor of the entire universe, breathless end point of the cosmos: Earth, desolate . . . . . . . . Someone throws us into life, this into consciousness: even that of a poor clerk who at the same time opens his eyes cringing at the day that sneers at him round about. Another Kellner. An old waiter, even his consciousness drops onto earth – pains and suffering, his aching feet, the crazy wife. And what comes to him of the fact that he is a man and belongs to the race? One day he loved. Now the laundry is done dreaming of the king he would have been. While the thought of you combines with that which I think and the cycles of the world follow each other. Boost me by ropes onto canonical pathways, ascending and descending. Don’t make anything grow on this land. Another Kellner. An old waiter, even his consciousness drops onto earth – pains and suffering, his aching feet, the crazy wife. And what comes to him of the fact that he is a man and belongs to the race? Don’t make anything grow on this land. Another Kellner. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser L'ombrella e la macchina da cucire was released in 1995. It was recorded at Battiato's home using only electronic instruments, and for him it was somewhat of a return to the musical experimentation that characterized his 1970s work. The lyrics were written by Manlio Sgalambro, the Sicilian philosopher who said that, for him, Hegel's The Phenomenology of Spirit sung like music in his ears. References to philosophy and literature abound; the title of the album is taken from a line by the French poet Isidore Ducasse: "Beautiful as a chance encounter between a sewing machine and an umbrella on an operating table." This line, according to Max Ernst, is the key to understanding surrealist poetry - "the search for beauty through the pairing of two seemingly irreconcilable realities." Battiato felt liberated by not having to write lyrics, and he was stimulated to explore and discover new musical realms by the different aesthetic that Sgalambro brought to wordsmithing, one that flows from a man in many ways the opposite of Battiato. Sgalambro described it this way: "Spiritual, transcendent, ascetic the first [Battiato]. Materialist, fleeting, anti-poetic, even cynical, the second [Sgalambro]."

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L'esistenza di Dio - The Existence of God

Giovane teologo non fare Come in rue de Fouarre Dove si produceva amore Si produceva per Dio E arnesi per dimostrarne l'esistenza, Che già mostrava la sola competenza Lessing diciassettenne Arriva a Lipsia Per fare teologia Apprende prima la scherma e la danza La distinzione e la lontananza Camice, prego! Il teologo si prepari Agli atti della sua professione Ecco, no guardate Un po' più sotto Qui vedrete esattamente com'è fatto Dio L'attributo "buono" Delimita uno spazio Segna una distanza Il paziente non può aspettare Si proceda a regolare Dissezione Camice, prego! Signori, anatomia! Presto, bisturi. Klemmen her! Giovane teologo non fare come in rue de Fouarre Dove si produceva amore si produceva per Dio E arnesi per dimostrarne l'esistenza, Che già mostrava la sola competenza Signori teologi basta, ricucite Ancora una cosa Mente a Ockam prego: Dio differisce dalla pietra Perchè questa, dice, è finita La teologia vi invita Anzi vi impone di Immaginare Una pietra infinita Camice, prego L'esistenza di Dio © 1995 Franco Battiato & Manlio Sgalambro "L'esistenza di Dio" critiques and makes fun of philosophical and theological arguments that claim to demonstrate the existence of God by human means, to know the infinite through the finite. According to William of Ockam, theology can't be considered a science, there being no connection between reason and faith. Hence the need to "imagine an infinite stone," a phrase taken from Sgalambro's own 1993 work Theological Dialogue. The German lyrics, recited by the writer Helena Janeczek, are taken from Sgalambro's 1987 book Treatise of Impiety. The music that underlies the Italian lyrics are borrowed from a traditional Romanian song, "Rind de hore."

Young theologian doesn’t do like in Rue de Fouarre where love was produced, it was produced for God. And tools for demonstrating his existence, that already showed the only competence. 17-year-old Lessing (Gotthold Ephraim) arrives in Leipzig to do theology. He first learns the keyboard and dance, the distinction and the distance. Shirt, please! The theologian prepares himself for the acts of his profession. Behold, no look a little lower, here you will see exactly how God is made. The attribute “good” delimits a space, marks a distance. The patient one can’t wait. One proceeds to regulate. Dissection. Shirt, please! Gentlemen, anatomy! Ready, scalpel. Pinch here! Young theologian doesn’t do like in Rue de Fouarre where love was produced, it was produced for God. And tools for demonstrating his existence, that already showed the only competence. Theologians, enough, resew. One more thing lies to Ockam, I pray: God differs from stone because it, he says, is finite. Theology invites you, actually commands you, to imagine an infinite stone. Shirt, please. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser L'ombrella e la macchina da cucire was released in 1995. It was recorded at Battiato's home using only electronic instruments, and for him it was somewhat of a return to the musical experimentation that characterized his 1970s work. The lyrics were written by Manlio Sgalambro, the Sicilian philosopher who said that, for him, Hegel's The Phenomenology of Spirit sung like music in his ears. References to philosophy and literature abound; the title of the album is taken from a line by the French poet Isidore Ducasse: "Beautiful as a chance encounter between a sewing maching and an umbrella on an operating table." This line, according to Max Ernst, is the key to understanding surrealist poetry - "the search for beauty through the pairing of two seemingly irreconcilable realities." Battiato felt liberated by not having to write lyrics, and he was stimulated to explore and discover new musical realms by the different aesthetic that Sgalambro brought to wordsmithing, one that flows from a man in many ways his opposite. Sgalambro described it this way: "Spiritual, transcendent, ascetic the first [Battiato]. Materialist, fleeting, anti-poetic, even cynical, the second [Sgalambro]."

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Caffé de la Paix - Peace Cafe

Ci si risveglia ancora in questo corpo attuale Dopo aver viaggiato dentro il sonno L'inconscio ci comunica coi sogni Frammenti di verità sepolte: Quando fui donna o prete di campagna Un mercenario o un padre di famiglia Per questo in sogno ci si vede un po' diversi E luoghi sconosciuti sono familiari Restano i nomi e cambiano le facce E l'incontrario: tutto può accadere Com'era contagioso e nuovo il cielo.... E c'era qualche cosa in più nell'aria Vieni a prendere un tè Al "Caffé de la Paix"? Su vieni con me Devo difendermi da insidie velenose E cerco di inseguire il sacro quando dormo Volando indietro in epoche passate In cortili, in primavera Le sabbie colorate di un deserto Le rive trasparenti dei ruscelli Vieni a prendere un tè Al "Caffé de la Paix"? Su vieni con me Vieni a prendere un tè Al "Caffé de la Paix"? Su vieni con me Ancora oggi, le renne della tundra Trasportano tribù di nomadi Che percorrono migliaia di chilometri in un anno... E a vederli mi sembrano felici Ti sembrano felici? Caffé de la Paix © 1993 Franco Battiato "Caffé de la Paix" is a song about traveling to past lives and distant epochs through the portal of dreams.

You wake up still in this current body after having traveled around inside sleep. The unconscious communicates with dreams, fragments of truth buried: when I was woman or small-town priest, a mercenary or a family man. For this in dreams you see yourself a little different, and unknown places are familiar. The names remain and the faces change and the reverse: everything can happen, like how the sky was contagious and new . . . and there were some additional things in the air. Come take a tea at the Peace Café? Come along with me. I have to defend myself from poisonous traps and I try to follow the sacred when I sleep, flying back to past epochs, in courtyards, in spring, the colored sands of a desert, the transparent banks of the streams. Come take a tea at the Peace Café? Come along with me. Come take a tea at the Peace Café? Come along with me. Still today, the reindeer of the tundra carry tribes of nomads who cover thousands of kilometers in a year . . . And upon seeing them, they seem happy to me. Do they seem happy to you? English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser Caffé de la Paix was released in 1993 and sees a return to using rock band instrumentation on some of the songs, combined with both classical/orchestral textures and the use of Eastern ethnic instruments like tabla and tanbur. The album brings together many of Battiato's cultural and musical interests, and the Caffé of its title refers to the Paris café where George Gurdjieff often went to write and to meet his students. The teachings of Gurdjieff are one of the three spiritual pillars in Battiato's life and work, along with Sufism and Tibetan Buddhism.

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Fogh in Nakhal - On the Palms

Fogh in-nakhal fogh ya ba fogh in-nakhal fogh medri lama'k khaddak ya ba medri l-ghomar fogh walla marida balini balwa w-inshidni l-batran ya ba lesh wajhak asfar wajhak asfar kull marad ma biyya ya ba min dard il-asmar walla sabini b'ayuno l'helwa Fogh in-nakhal fogh ya ba fogh in-nakhal fogh medri lama'k khaddak ya ba medri l-ghomar fogh walla marida balini balwa walla sabini b'ayuno l'helwa Fogh in-nakhal fogh ya ba fogh in-nakhal fogh medri lama'k khaddak ya ba medri l-ghomar fogh walla marida balini balwa Fogh in Nakhal © 1993 Franco Battiato "Fogh in Nakhal" is a popular Iraqi traditional song, here adapted by Battiato and Angelo Arioli, who also wrote lyrics for two other songs on Caffé de la Paix.

On the palms, up there, on the palms, up there, I don’t know if it’s your cheek that glows or the moon, up there. I don’t want it, but the pain torments me. The insolent one asks me: “Why is your face sallow?” I don’t have a disease: I suffer for that dark-haired person who imprisons me with her sweet eyes. On the palms, up there, on the palms, up there, I don’t know if it’s your cheek that glows or the moon, up there. I don’t want it, but the pain torments me, imprisons me with her sweet eyes. On the palms, up there, on the palms, up there, I don’t know if it’s your cheek that glows or the moon, up there. I don’t want it, but the pain torments me. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser Caffé de la Paix was released in 1993 and sees a return to using rock band instrumentation on some of the songs, combined with both classical/orchestral textures and the use of Eastern ethnic instruments like tabla and tanbur. The album brings together many of Battiato's cultural and musical interests, and the Caffé of its title refers to the Paris café where George Gurdjieff often went to write and to meet his students. The teachings of Gurdjieff are one of the three spiritual pillars in Battiato's life and work, along with Sufism and Tibetan Buddhism.

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Atlantide - Atlantis

E gli dei tirarono a sorte Si divisero il mondo: Zeus la Terra Ade gli Inferi Poseidon il continente sommerso Apparve Atlantide Immenso, isole e montagne Canali simili ad orbite celesti Il suo re Atlante Conosceva la dottrina della sfera Gli astri la geometria La cabala e l'alchimia In alto il tempio Sei cavalli alati Le statue d'oro, d'avorio e oricalco Per generazioni la legge dimorò Nei principi divini I re mai ebbri delle immense ricchezze E il carattere umano s'insinuò E non sopportarono la felicità Neppure la felicità In un giorno e una notte La distruzione avvenne Tornò nell'acqua Sparì Atlantide Atlantide © 1993 Franco Battiato & Carlotta Weick The lyrics of "Atlantide" were written by Carlotta Weick, pseudonym of the Swiss author Fleur Jaeggy. Battiato inserts some samples from Stockhausen's Momente starting at around 1:00. Stockhausen was an important influence on Battiato's musical development during the 1970s.

And the gods drew lots, divided up the world: Zeus, the Earth, Hades, the Underworld, Poseidon, the submerged continent. Atlantis appeared, immense, islands and mountains, canals similar to celestial orbits. Its king Atlas knew the doctrine of the sphere, the stars, geometry, the Kabbalah and alchemy. High up, the temple, six winged horses, the statues of gold, of ivory and orichalcum. For generations the law abided in divine principles, the kings never intoxicated by the immense riches. And the human character insinuated itself and couldn’t stand the felicity – not even felicity. In one day and one night the destruction came to pass. It returned into the water, Atlantis disappeared. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser Caffé de la Paix was released in 1993 and sees a return to using rock band instrumentation on some of the songs, combined with both classical/orchestral textures and the use of Eastern ethnic instruments like tabla and tanbur. The album brings together many of Battiato's cultural and musical interests, and the Caffé of its title refers to the Paris café where George Gurdjieff often went to write and to meet his students. The teachings of Gurdjieff are one of the three spiritual pillars in Battiato's life and work, along with Sufism and Tibetan Buddhism.

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Sui giardini della preesistenza - Over the Gardens of Pre-Existence

Torno a cantare il bene e gli splendori Dei sempre più lontani tempi d'oro Quando noi vivevamo in attenzione Perché non c'era posto per il sonno Perché non v'era notte allora Beati nel dominio della Preesistenza Fedeli al regno che era nei Cieli Prima della caduta sulla Terra Prima della rivolta nel dolore Prima della rivolta nel dolore Tu volavi lieve Sui giardini della preeternità Poi ti allungavi Sopra i gelsomini Ho visto dei cavalli in mezzo all'erba Seduti come lo sono spesso i cani E senza tregua vedo buio intorno Voglio di nuovo gioia nel mio cuore Un tempo in alto e pieno di allegria Beati nel dominio della Preesistenza Prima della caduta sulla Terra Prima della rivolta nel dolore Un tempo in alto Sui giardini della preesistenza © 1993 Franco Battiato "Sui giardini della preesisteza" is a song rooted in Sufism, which was the first pillar of Battiato's spiritual life and from which comes the doctrine of a heavenly pre-existence of the soul, far from the suffering and worries that humans experience after they incarnate on this earth.

I turn to sing of the good and the splendors of the ever more distant golden age when we lived in attentiveness, because there was no place for sleep, because then there was no night. Blissful in the domain of Pre-Existence, loyal to the kingdom that was in the Heavens before the fall to Earth, before the uprising in suffering, before the uprising in suffering. You flew gently over the gardens of pre-eternity then you stretched out over the jasmine. I saw some horses in the grass seated like dogs often are, and without respite I see darkness all around. I want joy back in my heart, once high and full of happiness. Blissful in the domain of Pre-Existence, before the fall to Earth, before the uprising in suffering, once high. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser Caffé de la Paix was released in 1993 and sees a return to using rock band instrumentation on some of the songs, combined with both classical/orchestral textures and the use of Eastern ethnic instruments like tabla and tanbur. The album brings together many of Battiato's cultural and musical interests, and the Caffé of its title refers to the Paris café where George Gurdjieff often went to write and to meet his students. The teachings of Gurdjieff are one of the three spiritual pillars in Battiato's life and work, along with Sufism and Tibetan Buddhism.

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Delenda Cartago - Carthage to Be Destroyed

Per terre incognite vanno le nostre legioni A fondare colonie a immagine di Roma "Delenda Carthago" Con le dita colorate di henna su patrizi triclini Si gustano carni speziate d'aromi d'Oriente; In calici finemente screziati frusciano i vini Le rose, il miele Nei circhi e negli stadi S'ammassano turbe stravolte A celebrare riti di sangue ...Conferendis pecuniis Ergo sollicitae tu causa, pecunia, vitae! Per te immaturum mortis adimus iter; Tu vitiis hominum crudelia pabula praebes Semina curarum de capite orta tuo Delenda Cartago © 1993 Franco Battiato & Angelo Arioli "Delenda Cartago" calls forth a time when some in Imperial Rome wanted to destroy Carthage because of its wealth. Cato the Elder thought the situation dangerous to Rome, and he ended every speech with an admonition that has been abbreviated to "Delenda Cartago est." The first line of the final verse is from the Annals of Tacitus, and the remaining lines are from the Elegies of Propertius.

Our legions go for unknown lands to found colonies in the image of Rome – “Carthage to be destroyed.” With henna-colored fingers on patrician triclinia, meats spiced in flavors of the Orient are enjoyed; in finely mottled chalices swirl the wines, the roses, the honey. In the circuses and in the stadiums mad mobs amass to celebrate blood rituals. . . . Raising money . . . So money you’re the cause of a troubled life! It’s because of you we go death’s path too soon: you offer human vices cruel nurture: from your source the seeds of sorrow spring. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser Caffé de la Paix was released in 1993 and sees a return to using rock band instrumentation on some of the songs, combined with both classical/orchestral textures and the use of Eastern ethnic instruments like tabla and tanbur. The album brings together many of Battiato's cultural and musical interests, and the Caffé of its title refers to the Paris café where George Gurdjieff often went to write and to meet his students. The teachings of Gurdjieff are one of the three spiritual pillars in Battiato's life and work, along with Sufism and Tibetan Buddhism.

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Ricerca sul terzo - Research on the Third

Mi siedo alla maniera degli antichi Egizi Coi palmi delle mani Dolcemente stesi sulle gambe E il busto eretto e naturale Un minareto verso il cielo Cerco di rilassarmi e abbandonarmi Tanto da non avere più tensioni O affanni Come se fossi entrato in pieno sonno Ma con i sensi sempre più coscienti e svegli E un grande beneficio Prova il corpo, il cuore e la mia mente Che spesso ai suoi pensieri m'incatena Mi incatena Somma la vista Ad occhi chiusi Sottrai la distanza E il terzo scoprirai Che si espande e si ritrova Dividi la differenza Ricerca sul terzo © 1993 Franco Battiato "Ricerca sul terzo" is an instructional description of the type of mediation that Battiato practices. The "third" here is the third eye, the gateway to one's spiritual dimension.

I sit down in the manner of the ancient Egyptians with the palms of my hands gently extended on the legs and torso erect and natural, a minaret towards the sky. I try to relax and abandon myself so as not to have more tensions or anxieties. As if I had entered into full sleep but with the senses always more aware and awake, and a great benefit is felt in the body, the heart, and my mind, that often chains me to its thoughts, it enchains me. Sum up the view with eyes closed. Subtract the distance, and the third you will discover, that you expand and find yourself. Divide the difference. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser Caffé de la Paix was released in 1993 and sees a return to using rock band instrumentation on some of the songs, combined with both classical/orchestral textures and the use of Eastern ethnic instruments like tabla and tanbur. The album brings together many of Battiato's cultural and musical interests, and the Caffé of its title refers to the Paris café where George Gurdjieff often went to write and to meet his students. The teachings of Gurdjieff are one of the three spiritual pillars in Battiato's life and work, along with Sufism and Tibetan Buddhism.

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Lode all'inviolato - Praise to the Inviolate

Ne abbiamo attraversate di tempeste E quante prove antiche e dure Ed un aiuto chiaro da un'invisibile carezza Di un custode Degna è la vita di colui che è sveglio Ma ancor di più di chi diventa saggio E alla Sua gioia poi si ricongiunge Sia Lode, Lode all'Inviolato E quanti personaggi inutili ho indossato Io e la mia persona quanti ne ha subiti Arido è l'inferno Sterile la sua via Quanti miracoli, disegni e ispirazioni... E poi la sofferenza che ti rende cieco Nelle cadute c'è il perché della Sua Assenza Le nuvole non possono annientare il Sole E lo sapeva bene Paganini Che il diavolo è mancino e subdolo E suona il violino Lode all'inviolato © 1993 Franco Battiato "Lode all'inviolato" is an elegy to those who follow paths seeking their essence and a reunion with the Absolute, here called the Inviolate. Battiato said, "The first time I encountered this divine attribute was reading a book by Attar of Nishapur, called Speech of the Birds."

We have crossed through tempests and so many hard and ancient trials. And an obvious assistance from an invisible caress of a guardian. Worthy is the life of he who is awake, but all the more he who becomes wise and then reconnects to His joy. Praise be, Praise to the Inviolate. And how many useless personages have I worn, me and my persona – how many has it suffered? Hell is barren, sterile its way. How many miracles, designs and inspirations . . . and then the suffering that renders you blind. In the falling there is the why of His Absence. The clouds can’t wipe out the Sun, and Paganini knew well that the devil is left-handed and devious and plays the violin. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser Caffé de la Paix was released in 1993 and sees a return to using rock band instrumentation on some of the songs, combined with both classical/orchestral textures and the use of Eastern ethnic instruments like tabla and tanbur. The album brings together many of Battiato's cultural and musical interests, and the Caffé of its title refers to the Paris café where George Gurdjieff often went to write and to meet his students. The teachings of Gurdjieff are one of the three spiritual pillars in Battiato's life and work, along with Sufism and Tibetan Buddhism.

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Haiku

Seduto sotto un albero a meditare Mi vedevo immobile danzare con il tempo Come un filo d'erba Che si inchina alla brezza di maggio O alle sue intemperie Alla rugiada che si posa sui fiori Quando s'annuncia l'autunno Assomiglio Io che devo svanire E vorrei Sospendermi nel nulla Ridurmi E diventare nulla Haiku © 1993 Franco Battiato & Angelo Arioli The first four lines of the second verse of "Haiku" are taken from the 1906 Japanese novel Kusumakura (Grass Pillow) by Natsume Sōseki, a novel translated into Italian and published by Battiato's publishing house Ottava. The Persian verse was written by Angelo Arioli, who was a Professor of Arab language and literature at the Italian Institute of Oriental Studies at Sapienza University in Rome.

Seated under a tree to meditate I saw myself unmoving, dancing with the weather like a blade of grass that bows down in the May breeze or to its elements. The rust placed on flowers when autumn announces itself, I resemble. I who must disappear. And I would like to suspend myself in the nothingness, reduce myself and become nothing. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser Caffé de la Paix was released in 1993 and sees a return to using rock band instrumentation on some of the songs, combined with both classical/orchestral textures and the use of Eastern ethnic instruments like tabla and tanbur. The album brings together many of Battiato's cultural and musical interests, and the Caffé of its title refers to the Paris café where George Gurdjieff often went to write and to meet his students. The teachings of Gurdjieff are one of the three spiritual pillars in Battiato's life and work, along with Sufism and Tibetan Buddhism.

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Povera patria - Poor Homeland

Povera patria! Schiacciata dagli abusi del potere di gente infame, che non sa cos'è il pudore. Si credono potenti e gli va bene quello che fanno; e tutto gli appartiene. Tra i governanti, quanti perfetti e inutili buffoni! Questo paese è devastato dal dolore... Ma non vi danno un po' di dispiacere quei corpi in terra senza più calore? Non cambierà, non cambierà No, cambierà, forse cambierà. Ma come scusare le iene negli stadi e quelle dei giornali? Nel fango affonda lo stivale dei maiali. Me ne vergogno un poco, e mi fa male vedere un uomo come un animale. Non cambierà, non cambierà Sì che cambierà, vedrai che cambierà. Si può sperare che il mondo torni a quote più normali che possa contemplare il cielo e i fiori che non si parli più di dittature Se avremo ancora un po' da vivere... La primavera intanto tarda ad arrivare. Povera patria © 1991 Franco Battiato "Povera patria" is a devastating look at the failings and ills of Italy's politics. Battiato generally felt that it wasn't an artist's place to address political themes, but his indignation at the state of affairs in Italy pushed him to write this bitter, sad, but clear-eyed assessment that shows him vacillating between hope and despair.

Poor homeland! Smashed by the abuses of power of notorious people who don’t know what decency is. They think themselves potent and are fine with what they do; and everything belongs to them. Among the rulers, such perfect and useless buffoons! This country is devastated by suffering. But don’t they give you some displeasure those bodies in the ground with no warmth left? It won’t change, it won’t change. No, it will change, maybe it will change. But how to excuse the hyenas in the stadiums and those in the news? In the mud sinks the boot of the pigs. I’m a little ashamed, and it sickens me to see a man as an animal. It won’t change, it won’t change. But yes it will change, you’ll see, it will change. One can hope that the world returns to more normal times, that one can contemplate the sky and the flowers, that there’s no more talk of dictators. If we will still have a little longer to live . . . The spring meanwhile is late in arriving. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser Come un camello in una grondaia was released in 1991, and was recorded at Abbey Road Studios because Battiato and arranger Giusto Pio wanted to use the Astarte Orchestra and the Ambrosian Singers, both based in London. The album marks a further distancing from Battiato's 1980s pop/rock period, with the rhythm section being jettisoned, resulting in four contemporary Lieder, which are poems set to classical music. These four works of Battiato are paired with four traditional Lieder: Schmerzen by Wagner, Plaisir d'amour by Martini Il Tedesco, Gestillte Sehnsucht by Brahms, and Oh Sweet Were the Hours by Beethoven.

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