Thursday, November 2, 2017

Aria di rivoluzione - Air of Revolution

Quell'autista in Abissinia
Guidava il camion
Fino a tardi
E a notte fonda
Si riunivano
A quel tempo in Europa
C'era un'altra guerra
E per canzoni
Solo sirene d'allame
Compagni, chi di noi
non sarebbe contro la guerra?
Però, lo splendore
delle "stelle del mattino" (armi) di Müntzer
sopra i contadini in rivolta,
quando illuminavani i loro aguzzini
di una luce sanguinosa...
Però, la melodia del lanciafiamme di Stalin
quando, a Natale, urlava
nelle orecchie gelate dei soldati di Hitler:
"Pace sulla Terra"

Passa il tempo
Sembra che non cambi niente
Questa mia generazione
Vuole nuovi valori
E ho già sentito
Aria di rivoluzione
Ho già sentito
Chi andrà alla fucilazione
Però..... l'eleganza dei missili automatici
nei cieli di Ho Chi Minh,
quando i prodotti di ingegneria da Detroit
davano loro l'incredibile bacio.....
Però.....la bellezza della mitragliatrice
sopra la spalla del guerrigliero boliviano,
quando fornisce argomenti sorprendenti
che i suoi oppressori finalmente capiscono....
La cosa migliore, però.....
Poliziotti addestrati contro il popolo
quando annegano
nel flusso della massa rabbiosa,
rigettata attraverso le valli stradali.
Ma finalmente, finalmente
prendere tra le loro mani non le armi,
ma la mano salvatrice
di coloro che cercano pace.......


Aria di rivoluzione © 1973 Franco Battiato

At the song's beginning, Battiato refers to his father who for a time was a truck driver in East Africa during the Fascist period of colonialism. Battiato's verses alternate with the two halves of a poem by German singer/songwriter Wolf Biermann ("Genossen, wer von uns wäre nicht gegen den krieg") that lays out the fascinations of the tools of war.



That driver in Abyssinia
drove the lorry
until late,
and deep in the night
they would gather.
At that time in Europe
there was another war,
and for songs
only emergency sirens.
“Comrades, who among us
would not be against the war?
But . . . the splendor
of the “morning stars” (arms) of Müntzer
above the peasants in revolt,
when they lit up their tormentors
with a bloody light . . .
But . . . the melody of Stalin’s flamethrowers
when, at Christmas, it screamed
in the frozen ears of Hitler’s soldiers:
“Peace on Earth” . . .

Time passes,
it seems that nothing changes.
This generation of mine
wants new values
and I have already felt
the air of revolution,
I have already sensed
who will go into the shooting.
But . . . the elegance of the guided missiles
in the skies of Hi Chi Minh City,
when the products of Detroit’s engineers
gave them the incredible kiss . . .
But . . . the beauty of the machine gun
over the shoulder of the Bolivian guerrilla,
when he supplies surprising arguments
that his oppressors finally understand . . .
The best thing, however . . .
Policemen trained against the populace
when they drown
in the rush of the angry mob,
rejected along the valley roadways.
But finally, finally
taking in their own hands not the arms,
but the saving hand
of those who search for peace . . .


English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser

“Franco Battiato is often heralded as Italy's answer to Brian Eno. . . (Battiato) turned pop music upside down in the early '70s with three classic LPs – Fetus, Pollution and Sulle Corde Di Aries – that formed a confluence of avant-folk sensibilities and analog electronics. . . 1973's Sulle Corde Di Aries is the third chapter in Battiato's foray into esoteric pop. While the artist would venture further out into avant-garde terrain on subsequent releases, his early records enjoy a lyrical and playful spirit – eschewing traditional, song-based composition in favor of kosmische voyages. On Sulle Corde Di Aries, Battiato guides the labyrinthine structural changes and majestic tones to evolve gradually over four electroacoustic suites. . . While Fetus and Pollution are often considered his masterpieces, Sulle Corde Di Aries remains a hidden gem in Battiato's catalogue. With more of a cohesive album-feel than the previous records, Sulle Corde Di Aries slows the pace to take in the sweeping scope of otherworldly sounds and soulful harmonies.” – Superior Viaduct review.

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