Il dito e la luna [English translation]

A curtain goes up, a curtain comes down,

the rope and the fabric wear out

while for us old actors and for you old actresses

memories become scars.

Hindsight doesn't help us correct over time

alle the mistakes we make over time.

Meanwhile, those who still look at us in stunned silence

already whisper: "The artist has gone mad."

Like cats in the night under faded stars

perhaps they1 believe they have seven lives2.

Actually, pointing at the moon

means having no life at all.

There's always a front-row seat

reserved for us, the comedians,

because Fortune3 who is absent-minded and stealthy,

never warns us in advance of her arrival4.

If anything, belts will get tighter by a few holes

and smiles will get broader, if this is the way to go.

As lights go dim and the curtain comes down

the rope and the fabric wear out.

All of a sudden, those who point at the moon

break away from mere spectators.

And every time the fool who has just one life

looks at the finger and not at the moon.

1. the artist2. In Italian culture, cats are said to have seven lives rather than nine3. the personification of good luck4. "la sera" = the evening, referring to typical evening/night music or theatre shows

• Artist:Angelo Branduardi
• Album:Il dito e la luna (1998)