Sunday Song – La Notte di San Lorenzo – Cristiano de Andre and Notte di San Lorenzo - Franco Simone

 

As promised in my  Notte di San Lorenzo - Perseids Meteor Shower post I am continuing the theme today for Sunday Song by sharing with you some songs about this night.

 

Uploaded by dolcenera92 on Jun 10, 2008

The first song is sung by Cristiano de Andre an Italian singer songwriter and multi talented musician born in Genoa on 29th December 1962. I will feature him in more detail in a future Sunday Song post but for now if you are interested in finding out more about this artist you can visit his Official Website. 

Italian Lyrics to La Notte Di San Lorenzo :   composed in 1995 by C. Sanfilippo

Era la notte di San Lorenzo / cadde una stella illuminando il lago / mentre un addio uccideva un sogno / piano suonavo
Seduto in mezzo tra la pietra e il pino / come un dolcissimo deserto / fatto di dune e di memoria / buio scoperto
Ho visto nascere e morire luci / nel vento buono di collina / Ho chiuso gli occhi la mattina / dormendo sul confine
Gli equilibristi sono carte matte / sognano solo desideri / In viaggio fanno curve strette / senza pensieri
Era la notte di San Lorenzo / fatta di atlantiche illusioni / e di pacifiche scoperte / in vie deserte
Ho ridipinto gli orizzonti persi / lasciando ovunque tracce chiare / di questa tenebra lucente / voglio cantare
Ho visto nascere e morire luci / nel vento buono di collina / Ho chiuso gli occhi la mattina / dormendo sul confine
Gli equilibristi sono carte matte / sognano solo desideri / In viaggio fanno curve strette / senza pensieri

English Translation of Lyrics to La Notte di San Lorenzo :

It was the night of San Lorenzo / fell a star illuminating the lake / and a farewell killed a dream / I was playing up
Sitting in the middle between the stone and pine / sweet like a desert / dunes made ​​of and memory / dark discovered
I was born and dying light / good in the wind of the hill / I closed my eyes in the morning / sleeping on the border
The acrobats are cards matte / dream only want / Travelling make sharp turns / carefree
It was the night of San Lorenzo / illusions made ​​of Atlantic / Pacific and discoveries / on the deserted streets
I repainted the lost horizons / leaving traces everywhere clear / glossy darkness of this / I will sing
I was born and dying light / good in the wind of the hill / I closed my eyes in the morning / sleeping on the border
The acrobats are cards matte / dream only want / Travelling make sharp turns / carefree

Italian to English translation was with the help of Google. Please be aware that this is not a perfect translation, it is just to give you the gist of the meaning if you do not know any Italian.

Uploaded by saintVito91 on Aug 11, 2008

The second song with a slightly different title is is performed by Franco Simone an older Italian singer born in Acquarica del Capo, Italy on the 21st July 1949. I will also feature him another time so here is the link to his Official Website as well.

Italian Lyrics to  Notte Di San Lorenzo :  composed in 1983 by Franco Simone

NOTTE DI SAN LORENZO DI AUTOGRILL E BENZINA,
MA CHE NOTTE POVERA SENZA UN CHIARO DI LUNA.
AH AH AH
NOTTE CHE LA TRISTEZZA SCENDE DALL’INFINITO,
CUORE NON SALTARE MA IO MI SENTO PERDUTO.
NOTTE DI SAN LORENZO NOTTE BUIA E SGOMENTO,
MENTRE VIAGGIO DA SOLO STANOTTE NON SONO CONTENTO.
QUANTO E’ LUNGA L’AUTOSTRADA MOSTRI COME CALAMITA,
SE INCONTRASSI ADULTA LA MIA FORTUNA,
AL MIO FILM STANOTTE STANOTTE CAMBIEREI QUALCHE SCENA.
NOTTE DI SAN LORENZO BATTI CUORE CHE CRESCE,
QUESTA NOTTE E’ UNA NOTTE STREGATA, LA VITA FINISCE,
SENZA STELLE NÉ LUNA NEL SILENZIO DEL CIELO,
QUESTA NOTTE SPIETATA HA DECISO DI TOGLIERSI IL VELO.
—
NOTTE DI SAN LORENZO MUOVI PIANO LE MANI,
ARIA NUOVA IN MACCHINA TU, TU TI SVEGLI E MI CHIAMI.
AH AH AH
NOTTE DI SAN LORENZO SE TI HO FATTA SALIRE,
SENZA NOME NÉ GUANTI DI SETA, ACCAREZZAMI IL CUORE.
CAMBIA FACCIA L’AUTOSTRADA, MIELE DOLCE TRA LE DITA,
DIECI STELLE TORNANO PER CADERE,
PER CAPIRE TUTTA LA NOTTE, CI VOGLIONO MONTAGNE D’AMORE.
NOTTE DI SAN LORENZO IN UN AUTO CHE CORRE,
UNA DONNA HA PORTATO IL PROFUMO DI MILLE CHITARRE.
NOTTE DI SAN LORENZO MI ABBANDONO AL RICHIAMO,
QUESTA STELLA CADUTA VICINO, MI PORTA LONTANO.

English Translation of Lyrics to Notte di San Lorenzo :  Translation by Simona Bellone,

NIGHT OF ST. LAWRENCE OF AUTOGRILL AND GASOLINE, 
BUT THAT POOR NIGHT WITHOUT A CLEAR OF THE MOON. 
AH AH AH 
THE NIGHT THAT THE SADNESS FALLS FROM THE INFINITY, 
HEART DON'T JUMP BUT I FEEL LOST. 
NIGHT OF ST. LAWRENCE DARK NIGHT AND DISMAY, 
WHILE I TRAVEL ALONE TONIGHT I'M NOT HAPPY. 
WHAT HOW LONG IS THE HIGHWAY, MONSTERS LIKE MAGNET, 
IF I MEET ADULT MY LUCK
TO MY MOVIE TONIGHT, TONIGHT I WOULD CHANGE SOME SCENE.
NIGHT OF ST. LAWRENCE BEATS HEART THAT GROWS, 
THIS NIGHT IS A NIGHT BEWITCHED, THE LIVE ENDS, 
WITHOUT STARS NEITHER MOON IN THE SILENCE OF THE SKY, 
THIS MERCILESS NIGHT HAS DECIDED TO REMOVE THE VEIL. 
---
NIGHT OF ST. LAWRENCE MOVE SLOWLY THE HANDS, 
NEW AIR IN MACHINE YOU, YOU WOKE UP AND CALL ME.
AH AH AH 
NIGHT OF ST. LAWRENCE IF I HAVE MADE CLIMB YOU IN,
WITHOUT NAME NEITHER SILK GLOVES, CARESS ME THE HEART. 
CHANGE THE FACE THE HIGHWAY, HONEY SWEET BETWEEN THE FINGERS, 
TEN STARS RETURN FOR FALL, 
TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE NIGHT, IT'S NEED MOUNTAINS OF LOVE. 
NIGHT OF ST. LAWRENCE IN A CAR THAT RUNS, 
A WOMAN HAS BRINGED THE SCENT OF A THOUSAND GUITARS.
NIGHT OF ST LAWRENCE I ABANDONMENT ME TO THE CALL,
THIS STAR FALLEN NEAR, TAKES ME AWAY.

I think both of these songs are beautiful.

I hope you are all having a great weekend and to those of you that are celebrating here in Italy Buon Ferragosto, more information about the significance of this holiday can be found by visiting, Ferragosto – Wikipedia.

Tuesday August 16th 2011, I have made some corrections to this post as Simona Bellone, see her comments below, has kindly pointed out that they are in fact two different songs with completely different words, which means I really was not listening properly when I selected these two was I.  My apologies for this careless error.

I am delighted to say that this post gets a mention on  Italy Tutto this week in Sunrise - Sunset - Stars

Saturday Snapshots – Santa Marta Fuochi d'Artificio - Santa Marta Firework Display 2011

 

The Santa Marta celebrations which started with the Santa Marta Processione ended with a tremendous Firework Display over the lake at 11pm on July 29th. No words are needed, the photos and videos say it all.

Finally a selection of our video experimental films of the fireworks, all very short but they give a better impression of the event than the still photos.   I hope you will enjoy if you have a few minutes to spare.

     

    

 

If you enjoyed these and would like to see more Firework photos and videos they can be viewed in my Flickr.com albums. Fireworks Santa Marta 2011 and last years at Santa Marta Fireworks 2010

or last years post on News From Italy - Santa Marta Fireworks 2010

Please note all these photos are my own work All rights reserved by LindyLouMac Photo Collection

Have a lovely weekend everyone and Buon Ferragosto to all my friends here in Italy.

La Notte di San Lorenzo – Perseids Meteor Shower

 

August 10th is La Festa di San Lorenzo, the saints day for Saint Lawrence and it is considered a special day by many Italians as this is the time of year when the earth passes through the Perseids Meteor Shower. These streams of light are  known by the Italians as  'Le lacrime di San Lorenzo'   ‘San Lorenzo’s tears’

If the skies are clear it is a perfect opportunity to, if you are lucky, see a shooting star and if you do so you make a wish on this ‘ La Notte delle Stelle Cadenti’  ‘The Night of the Falling Stars’.  The Perseids Meteor Shower appears around this time every summer and is potentially visible for weeks depending on location and weather conditions. The source of the shower is debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle, which has been described as "the single most dangerous object known to humanity"

It is thought that this year visibility, even if the weather is clear may well be compromised by the fact that there is a full Moon on August 13th whose brightness will make the fainter falling stars much more difficult to spot. The shower is expected to remain visible this year until August 24th, so even if you are not lucky enough to see one for La Notte di San Lorenzo, there is still time, although not sure if your wishes will still come true.

If you are interested in a few more facts about Saint Lawrence and to learn, for instance what professions he is considered patron saint of please take a look at my post from last year Notte di San Lorenzo 2010 - News From Italy.

No surprise that I do not have any shooting star photos to share with you but I think the firework photos I have included taken recently at the Santa Marta Processione  give a pretty good impression of millions of shooting stars!

 

Good Luck - I will certainly be out star gazing this evening.

 

Uploaded by LabEquipment on Jul 26, 2011

This video is very interesting and tells us about the summer Perseid meteor shower getting underway as Earth enters the debris stream from comet Swift-Tuttle.

With thanks to the falling websites for the information for this post.

Chiff.com – Perseids  Wikipedia - Perseids

Wikipedia - Swift Tuttle       YouTube – Perseids

 

I am linking to Outdoor Wednesday today

Welcome to ‘News From Italy’ to the other participants, thankyou for calling by.

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/

All photos are All rights reserved by LindyLouMac Photo Collection

This coming Sunday I plan continue the theme of Notte di San Lorenzo and post some lovely versions of the song of the same name, I hope you will be able to call by and listen to them. Happy Star Gazing.

Santa Marta Processione con le barche - Santa Marta Procession with boats.

 

 

The 29th of July is the Saints Day for Martha who was the sister of Mary and Lazarus of Bethany, a village about three kilometres from Jerusalem in the time of Jesus.  In honour of sharing a name with Santa Marta, the town of Marta celebrates in her honour. The celebrations start with a Procession the previous evening by the fisherman in their boats on the lake and a procession along the streets of Marta culminating with a service and blessing. The next day in honour of Santa Marta is a local holiday with everyone in a festive mood with a large market during the day and finishing with a magnificent Firework display at 11pm.  Today I am sharing with you a few of my photos from the procession on the evening of July 28th and a very short video.  The complete album of the event may be viewed on Flickr.com Santa Marta July 28 2011.

The first part of the procession takes place simultaneously on land and water. We sat on the wall that runs along the lakeside towards the Fisherman’s beach where the procession was heading, from here we had excellent views of both the processions and the fireworks.

The bust of the Virgin Mary is placed on a boat decorated with lights and starting from the harbour travels along the lakeshore to the Fisherman’s port at the other end of the town, accompanied by a procession of decorated boats. After docking and a blessing the Virgin Mary or Madonna is carried back through the streets accompanied by many of the citizens of Marta. Arriving back in the centre there was a service and blessing conducted from the Commune building.

 

Candles were placed all along the wall beside the lake.

The Madonna statue can be seen in the first boat.

Madonna and Procession arriving at the Commune Buildings in centre of Marta.

Blessing conducted from commune office window.

The Madonna

A very short video of fireworks showing the Madonna arriving at her port destination.

LindyLouMac

I also wrote about this event last year and the post can be read here.

If you are interested in reading more history about this saints day, there is an explanation in Italian at the following link La Festa di Santa Marta.

Thanks to http://www.parrocchiamarta.it/ricorrenze/SMarta.html for the first picture, the rest are all my own from LindyLouMac Photo Collection.

The complete album of this event may be viewed on Flickr.com Santa Marta July 28 2011