Fortezza Bastiani - Fortress Bastiani

Resisterà alle dolci lusinghe la Fortezza Bastiani? Bugiardi imbonitori l'assediano Con violenze degne di Tamerlano Resisterò andando incontro al piacere Ascoltando il respiro trattenendo il calore Su un'altra forma d'onda intonerò il mio pensiero Ho camminato girando a vuoto Senza nessuna direzione Mi tiene immobile nei limiti L'ossessione dell'Io Mi ritrovai seduto su una panchina Al sole di febbraio Un magico pomeriggio dai riflessi d'oro E mi svegliai con l'aria di pioggia recente Che aveva lasciato frammenti di gioia Fortezza Bastiani © 2004 Franco Battiato & Manlio Sgalambro "Fortezza Bastiani" takes off from a line in Dino Buzzati's acclaimed 1940 novel The Tartar Steppe: "It amused me to describe this sheltering in defense against the rumors and the arrogance of the world." The violence of the 14th century conqueror Tamerlane (or Timur) was indeed intense - it is estimated that his military campaigns led to the death of 17 million people, about 5% of the world's population at the time.

Will the Fortress Bastiani resist the sweet flatteries? Fast-talking lies assault it with violence worthy of Tamerlane. I will resist, going against pleasure, listening to the breath, holding the heat. On another wave form I will intone my thought. I walked, wandering around without any direction. I hold myself unmoving within the limits, the obsession of the I. I found myself seated on a bench in the February sun, a magical afternoon by the reflections of gold, and I woke up with the air of recent rain that left fragments of joy. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser Dieci stratagemmi - Attraversare il mare per ingannare il cielo was released in 2004. The title is a takeoff on the Chinese essay Thirty-Six Stratagems, which discusses strategies used in war and politics. The lyrics were mostly co-written by Battiato and the Sicilian philosopher Manlio Sgalambro.

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