Reflections of a stormy petrel

...here are the four items that nobody could get:



This is awesome new talent Imelda May from Dublin in her wonderful "Big Bad Handsome Man" and a life and vigour and fun I haven't heard since Ricky Martin in his prime:



This one, on the other hand, is a positive embarrassment; and oddly enough, Marty Robbins actually wrote one of the greatest love songs of all time - "My woman, my woman, my wife".



And this one, to finish with, is a masterpiece and one of the greatest songs ever composed - but it is, alas, in Italian.

...they say that you know that you are a Roman when you find yourself saying: "Most of the time, this town drives me crazy. But every now and then it just stops my heart how beautiful she is."



Roma capoccia

by Antonello Venditti


Quanto sei bella Roma quann'e' sera
How beautiful you are, Rome, in the evening
quanno la luna se specchia
dentro ar fontanone
When the moon comes out to see itself in the Great Fountain
e le coppiette se ne vanno via,
And pairs of lovers slowly stroll away
quanto sei bella Roma quanno piove.
How beautiful you are, Rome, when it rains.

Quanto sei grande Roma quann'e' er tramonto
How mighty you are, Rome, when the sun sets
quanno l'arancio rosseggia
ancora sui sette colli
When red and orange linger over the Seven Hills
e le finestre so' tanti occhi,
And all the windows are like so many eyes
che te sembrano dì': quanto sei bella.
That seem to say to you: How beautiful you are!

Oggi me sembra che
Today I feel as though
er tempo se sia fermato qui,
Time had stopped right here!
vedo la maestà der Colosseo
I see the majesty of the Coliseum,
vedo la santità der Cupolone,
I see the sanctity of the Great Dome,
e so' piu' vivo e so' più bbono
And I am more alive, and I am a better man for it.
no, nun te lasso mai
No, I shall never leave you,
Roma capoccia der monno 'nfame,
Rome the head - of this damn world!

'na carrozzella va co' du' stranieri
Two foreigners go by in a horse-drawn carriage.
Un robivecchi te chiede un po'de stracci
A rubbish dealer asking for some used rags -
li passeracci so'usignoli;
Even them damn sparrows, they are nightingales.
io ce so' nato, Roma,
I was born here, Rome,
io t'ho scoperta stamattina.
And I discovered you - only this morning!