Volare - in Latin Sapphics
Italian Lyrics - Franco Migliacci
Latine vertit Petrus Johannes Carolus Lichoas

First Installment

Italian

Penso che un sogno cosi non ritorni mai piu
mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia blu
Poi d'improvviso venivo dal vento rapito
E incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito

Volare, O O!
Cantare, O O O!
Nel blu, dipinto di blu
felice di stare lassu!

Latin Version

Non reversurum lepidum putabam
tale somnium; faciem manusque
- triste dictu! - caeruleo colore
inficiebam.

tum repente raptus ego furenti
sum vento infinitaque iam advolare
templa coepi (crederet haec quis umquam?)
caerula caeli.

me cantare, meque volare caelum
caerulo per caeruleum colore
pincta gaudebam specie, beatus
nubila mirans.

Translation of Latin

"Such a charming dream won't return!"
That's what I thought.
I painted my face and hands
- Sad to say! -
with the color blue.

Then, suddenly, I was seized
by the raging wind,
and began to fly
(who would ever believe this?)
to the infinite regions of heaven.

That I was singing, and
that I was flying
across the blue heavens,
my form painted blue,
that was my joy, as happily
I marveled at the clouds!