Veni l'autunnu - Autumn Comes

Stammu un pocu all'umbra Cca c'è troppu suli... Veni l'autunnu Scura cchiù prestu L'albiri peddunu i fogghi E accumincia a scola Da mari già si sentunu i riuturi E a mari già si sentunu i riuturi Mo patri m'insignau lu muraturi Pi nan sapiri leggiri e scriviri è inutili ca 'ntrizzi E fai cannola Lu santu è di mammuru E nan sura Sparunu i bummi Supra a Nunziata 'n cielu fochi di culuri 'n terra aria bruciata E tutti appressu o santu 'nda vanedda Sicilia bedda mia Sicilia bedda Chi stranu e cumplicatu sintimentu Gnonnu ti l'aia diri Li mo peni Cu sapi si si in gradu di capiri No sacciu comu mai Ti vogghiu beni Messmuka issmi khalifa Adrussu 'allurata al 'arabiata Likulli schain uactin ua azan. Likulli schain uactin ua azan. Likulli helm muthabir amal Likulli helm muthabir amal Veni l'autunnu © 1988 Franco Battiato "Veni l'autunnu" is Battiato's love song for Sicily, in a mix of Sicilian dialect and Arabic. According to Battiato, "the lyrics are made almost entirely of traditional citations, many phrases are proverbs, it's like a festival of popular sayings."

We are staying a bit in the shade, here there’s too much sun . . . Autumn comes, it gets dark earlier. The trees lose their leaves and school starts up. From the sea one already hears the surf and at the sea one already hears the surf. My father taught me the mason’s craft not knowing how to read or write. It’s useless to braid and make curls, the saint is of marble and doesn’t sweat. They shoot fireworks above Nunziata, in the sky colored pyrotechnics and on land scorched air, and everyone behind the saint in the back street – my beautiful Sicily, beautiful Sicily. How strange and complicated feelings. One day I have to tell you about my sorrow. Who knows if you are able to understand. I don’t know why I love you. What’s your name? My name is Khalifa. I study the Arabic language. For everything there is a time and a pain. For everything there is a time and a pain. Every persistent dream has hope. Every persistent dream has hope. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser Fisiognomica was released in 1988. After 1985's Mondi Lontanissimi, Battiato changed course once again and dedicated himself to working on an opera based on Genesis, a project he'd already begun in 1983. The opera was nearly all-consuming for the next two years and was finally mounted in 1987. Battiato then committed to writing another opera based on the myth of Gilgamesh. However, some non-classical songs were beginning to reappear in his writing, and he decided to produce another "pop" album (the word "pop" must always be in quotes when applied to Battiato), though one that unites pop, operatic, classical, and contemplative music. One that also places spirituality at the core, with lyrics and music that are serious, refined, intimate and more personally direct than Battiato was previously willing to be in his former years of word play, irony, hard-to-understand esoteric references, and fragmentism.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List