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LT → Italian, Italian (Medieval), French → Angelo Branduardi → Cogli la prima mela → English
  • Angelo Branduardi
    Angelo Branduardi – Cogli la prima mela

    English translation

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English
Translation
#1#2

Seize the first apple

Beautiful one, you who so proudly go about,
You won't regret it:
Seize1 the first apple, seize the first apple,
Seize the first apple, ah!
 
Beautiful one, you who so proudly go about,
Don't ever wait:
Seize the first apple, seize the first apple,
Seize the first apple, ah!
 
Dance it2, your life
To the rhythm of the time moving on.
Laugh your cheerfulness:
Seize the first apple.
 
Dance it2, your life
To the rhythm of the time moving on.
Laugh your cheerfulness:
Seize the first apple.
 
Beautiful one, you who so proudly go about,
You won't regret it:
Seize the first apple, seize the first apple,
Seize the first apple, ah!
 
Beautiful one, you who so proudly go about,
Don't ever repent yourself:
Seize the first apple, seize the first apple,
Seize the first apple, ah!
 
Hold him on tight to you,
The friend who will smile at you,
And [good] luck to whom3 goes away-ay:
Seize the first apple.
 
Hold him on tight to you,
The friend who will smile at you,
And [good] luck to whom goes away-ay:
Seize the first apple.
 
Beautiful one, you who so proudly go about,
You won't regret it:
Seize the first apple, seize the first apple,
Seize the first apple, ah!
 
  • 1. Since it is an apple, the term “pick” or "grab" should be more appropriate, but in this case, the apple is just a metaphor for an opportunity. So, "Cogli l'attimo" is translated as "Seize the day", hence the "apple" is the same thing as the "day".
  • 2. a. b. I keep the repetition present in the original Italian text even in the English version: "Danzala" means "dance it", even if Branduardi then explains what "la" ("it") is, that is "la tua vita" ("your life").
  • 3. also interpretable as "luck that goes away"
Italian
Original lyrics

Cogli la prima mela

Click to see the original lyrics (Italian)

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Translations of "Cogli la prima mela"

English #1, #2
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Comments
MichaelNaMichaelNa    Fri, 06/04/2018 - 14:51

I'm pretty sure I corrected this on a previous edit but it seems like you reverted it.
"e fortuna che se ne va-ah" should be "È fortuna che se ne va-ah" which translates to "It's luck that goes away-ay". What you wrote in English, in Italian translates to "e buona fortuna a chiunque se ne va".

non aspettare mai! => Don't ever wait

non ti pentire mai! => Don't ever repent.

Additionally, the repeated second Italian stanza, i.e. the third stanza, is missing in the English translation.

jackiechanjackiechan
   Wed, 04/07/2018 - 02:24

It took time for the revision, but I finally managed to do it. Thanks.

Gyps FulvusGyps Fulvus    Sat, 03/10/2020 - 17:06

Hi!
I have been listening to the song over and over and I'm fairly coinvinced that the disputed verse reads "E fortuna a chi se ne va", which fits the translation originally proposed by jackiechan. This interpretation - wishing good luck to someone - would also match the overall positive mood of the song (seize the moment, dance your life, hold your smiling friend tight...).
A penny for your thoughts...
M

MichaelNaMichaelNa    Sat, 03/10/2020 - 17:56

What “È fortuna che se ne va, cogli la prima mela” means is that if you don’t seize the moment you’ll miss your chance or, to put it in a biblical context, the serpent talking to Eve: “Pick up the apple or forever remain in the dark”.

Gyps FulvusGyps Fulvus    Sun, 04/10/2020 - 06:23

Your interpretation works too. I was intrigued by the fact that there are two different options that fit the meaning of the song, so I did a bit of image search and I think I found an image of the album booklet at the bottom of this webpage:

https://stefanofiorucci.altervista.org/angelo-branduardi-cogli-la-prima-...

and it says "E fortuna a chi se ne va".
I don't want to be a nitpicker, I was just curious. :)
Good job everyone.
M

MichaelNaMichaelNa    Sun, 04/10/2020 - 13:25

In both instances the pronunciation for “chi/che” is ambiguous but the “a” is definitely not clearly pronounced. In view of the evidence you provided I’ll assume that the “a” of fortun(a) has a double purpose.

silencedsilenced    Sun, 04/10/2020 - 07:03

The French version was a big hit.



The title and chorus is "go wher(ever) the wind leads you". Eve and the apple were lost in translation :)

MichaelNaMichaelNa    Sun, 04/10/2020 - 13:43

It sounds like the French version lost out completely on the biblical “first apple” reference and opted for “poussière des rails” and “éventail” instead. :)
Can you, please, transcribe and translate the whole song so that a full comparison can be done?

silencedsilenced    Sun, 04/10/2020 - 14:22

Sure, just give me a moment. That should be fun :)
Btw. "La demoiselle" was perhaps even more succesful in France. I suppose there is an Italian version, but I couldn't locate it just by looking at the titles.

MichaelNaMichaelNa    Sun, 04/10/2020 - 14:52

The Italian version is called “La pulce d’acqua”. I inserted a link in the “Related” section.

silencedsilenced    Sun, 04/10/2020 - 15:56

I've attempted an English version. I had never payed attention to them, but these lyrics are mighty odd :)

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