La fonte

CD 1, Track 11

Il mio Giorgino ha scoperto la voce canterina della fontana. Eravamo in campagna e alla svolta della via egli mi disse: "Mamma! Ascolta!" Si udiva un sussurro eguale e leggero, dolce e gentile. L'avete mai udito voi, il gorgogliare d'uno zampillo tra l'erbe? Che dolcezza! Sembra una voce innocente che voglia dire tante cose, e ora a'affretta, e ora s'attarda e trabocca sempre! O fontanina generosa, ci dona l'acqua pura che ci disseta, ci pulisce, ci ristora, e sfugge via e inaffia erbe e fiori. 'E buona, poi [?] tutto e rispecchia l'azzurro del cielo. Volete udirne la canzone? E' una canzone lieta e serena, come è lieta e serena la bontà. La fonte.

The spring

My little Giorgio has discovered the sweet singing voice of spring water. We were in the country and at the turning of the road he said to me: "Mummy! Listen!" We could hear a light, even murmuring, sweet and gentle. Have you ever heard the gurgling of a spring through the grass? How lovely! It sounds like an innocent voice that would like to say so many things, and now it slows down and now it hurries on, and keeps on gushing! O generous spring, you give us the pure water that quenches our thirst, that cleans us, that refreshes us, then you run away and water the grasses and the flowers. The spring is good, and then it [?] everything and reflects the azure sky. Would you like to hear the song about it? It is a happy and serene song, just like goodness, which is also happy and serene. The spring.

Quante cose racconta gioconde

la fontana ciarliera: glu-glu!

mentre arguta gorgoglia ed in onde

zampillanti precipita giù.

Canta, ride, s'affretta, sonnecchia,

sogna il cielo e la nube che fu,

e d'azzurro riempie la secchia

e ridendo trabocca - glu-glu!

Tutta notte d'accordo col vento

alla luna discorre lassù;

le domanda una veste d'argento:

glu-glu-glu, glu-glu-glu, glu-glu-glu.

What a lot of joyous news

the gossipy spring has to tell: glug-glug!

While she gurgles cleverly and rushes down

In gushing waves.

She sings, she laughs, she snoozes,

dreaming of the skies and yesterday's cloud,

and she fills the bucket with azure

and laughingly brims over - glug-glug!

All night long in accord with the wind

She chats with the moon above;

she asks her to give her a silver gown:

glug-glug-glug, glug-glug-glug, glug-glug-glug.

Translations provided by Michael Aspinall

Sung in Italian