“L’Addio a Napoli” (Teodoro Cottrau, composer)
In my book “Love Songs in Spanish for Enjoyment and Learning” I placed most of the tangos at the end of the book and at the very end of the book I included a song in Italian, “L’Addio a Napoli.”
This might seem a strange thing to do but here’s what I was thinking: the dominant theme of many Argentine tangos is nostalgia and Italians were the main national group who emigrated to Argentina in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Many of these Italians sailed from ports like Naples, Genoa and Palermo. Although many of them were seeking better living conditions it was still with great sorrow that they left their beautiful, beloved Italy. I think they took their nostalgia with them and even after they settled in Argentina it remained a deep, familiar emotion, one that would find expression in many a tango, not just in their generation, but in the generations that followed.
Here are the words with an English translation. Google “Youtube and L’Addio a Napoli sung by Caruso.”
1. Addio, mia bella Napoli!
Farewell, my beautiful Naples!
2. Addio! Addio!
Farewell! Farewell!
3. La tua suave imagine,
Your lovely image,
4. chi mai, chi mai scordar potrà?
Who will ever be able to forget it?
5. Del ciel l’azzuro fulgido,
The dazzling blue of the sky
6. la placida marina,
The calm marina,
7. Qual core non innebria
What heart does not exult
8. non bea, non bea di voluttà?
And doesn’t bask, bask in sensual pleasure?
(5-8: What heart does not exult in the dazzling blue of the sky and the calm marina and bask in sensual pleasure?)
9. Il ciel, la terra e l’aura
The sky, the land and the breeze
10. favellano d’amore.
Tell of love.
11. E solo nel mio dolore
And alone in my grief
12. del porto io sognerò. Io ti sognerò.
I will dream of the port. I will dream of you.
13. Addio, mia bella Napoli!
Farewell, my beautiful Naples!
14. Addio, addio.
Farewell! Farewell!
15. Addio, care memorie
Farewell, dear memories
16. del tempo che passò.
Of the time which has passed.
17. Tutt’altro ciel mi chiama
A completely different sky calls for me
18. Addio! addio!
Farewell! Farewell!
19. Ma questo cor ti brama.
But this heart longs for you
20. Il cor, il cor ti lascerò!
This heart, this heart I will leave with you!
21. Di baci e d’armonia
Of kisses and harmony
22. è la tua riviera.
Is your coast.
23. O magica sirena,
Oh magic Siren,
24. fedel, fedel a te sarò!
Faithful, faithful to you I will be!
25 Al mio pensier più tenero
Upon my most tender thought
26 ritornano gli istanti,
(certain) moments return,
27 le gioie e le memorie
Joys and memories
28 dei miei felici dì. i miei felici dì
Of my happy days, my happy days.
(Repeat) lines 13-16 twice.
If you enjoyed listening to Addio a Napoli you will find more of the same in my book, “Operatic Italian”. Chapter twenty deals with operatic aspects of canzoni.
Love Songs In Spanish for Enjoyment and Learning 