La donna cannone [English translation]

I will throw this enormous heart of mine

among the stars one day,

I swear I will.

And I will fly beyond the blue circus tent

into the blue

when the freak show lady1

turns all golden and silvery

and without getting to the station

catches the last train.

And my name will sparkle

in the face of the evil and arrogant ones.

The day will stop

at the gates of the night

The cheering of paying audience

will underline it.

And a song will play

from the muzzle of the cannon.

My love, I will hold your hands in my hands

and I will carry you in my heart2 without a word

And I will have no fear

even if I'm not as beautiful3 as you say.

But we will fly across the sky, flesh and blood,

we won't come back.

And without any hunger or thirst

without wings and without nets we'll fly away.

And so, the freak show lady,

that enormous mistery, flew.

All alone, she left

for that black, black sky.

Everybody closed their eyes

the moment she disappeared

others swore and forswore

that they had never been there.

My love, I will hold your hands in my hands

and I will bring you into my heart without a word

And I will have no fear

even if I'm not as beautiful as you want.

But we will fly across the sky, flesh and blood,

we won't come back.

And without any hunger or thirst

without wings and without nets we'll fly away.

1. lit. "the cannon lady" = a very fat woman who is part of a freak show 2. also: I will keep you in my heart 3. Feminine in the original text, so it's the lady speaking

• Artist:Francesco De Gregori
• Album:La donna cannone (1983)