L'isola non trovata (Englisch) Songtext / Lyric

L’isola non trovata
The island left unfounden
(Inspired by a poem of Guido Gozzano)

‘Twas the fayrest of alle
The island left unfounden
That the Kynge of Spayne
Was giuen by hys cousin
The Kynge of Portugal
With a bulla signed
And sealed by the Pontyffe
In Gothic Latyn writynge

The Kynge of Spayn sailed awaye
To seeke for that enchantyd island
But, alas! ‘twas not to be founden
And no one coude euer fynde it
Ytt disappear’d fro’ th’forecastlle
As fast as thowghte
As iff ytt were a fleetyng dream
Ytt disappear’d ne’er to be found any more.

The ancyent maps of the pyrates
Are poynted with mysterious signes
The sea men tell it yn a low voyce
For fear or for supersticyoune
No one knoweth whether ytt is
Or ytt’s a dreame
Yff you can smelle ytt in the wynde
Ytt is lyke smoke that you neuer catch...

Some time ytt doth appear
Magyque an’ fayre in the miste
But yff the pilot sayle forth
Ytt will soare vp flyinge o’r unknown seas
So ytt wylle turne blue
The colowre of distaunce
The Kynge of Spayn sailed awaye.


(Versione in scozzese cinquecentesco)