Samarcanda [English translation]

There was a big celebration in the camp because the war was finally over.

The soldiers had come home and taken off their uniforms. In the street they were dancing…

There was a big feast in the capital, because the war was over.

Soldiers had come home and had thrown away their uniforms. People were dancing and drinking wine on the streets. Musicians were playing without interruption. It was spring, and women could finally hug their husbands after so many years. At dawn, bonfires were put out, and right then one soldier thought he saw for just a moment a woman in black, looking at him with evil eyes...

Laughing, laughing and laughing once again,

war isn't scary anymore.

At night, uniforms burn in bonfires

and plenty of wine burns the throats,

sounds of tambourines until dawn,

a soldier who had been dancing all night long,

saw that lady in black in the crowd,

he saw she was looking for him and got frightened.

"Save me, save me, your Highness,

help me escape from here.

She was standing next to me during the parade

and she was giving me the evil eye".

"Give him, give him an animal

bred from lightning, worth of a king,

faster, faster, so that he can escape

give him the fastest steed".

"Gallop, horse, gallop, I beg you

I will guide you to Samarkand,

don't stop, fly, I beg you

run like the wind and I'll be safe...

Oh oh horse, oh oh horse, oh oh horse,

oh oh horse, oh oh..."

Rivers, then fields and then a purple dawn

the towers he finally reached were white,

but that lady in black was in the crowd,

and he was tired of fleeing and bowed his head.

"You were there in the crowd in the capital

I know you were giving me the evil eye

I ran away among crickets and cicadas

I ran away and I meet you again here!"

"You are wrong, you are mistaken, you are wrong, soldier,

I wasn't giving you the evil eye

It was just an astonished gaze,

what were you doing there the day before yesterday?

I expected you to be here in Samarkand today,

you were so far away two days ago,

I feared you'd stay and listen to the band,

and you'd never arrive here on time."

"Samarkand is not so far away,

gallop, horse, gallop in that direction...

I have been singing with you all night long

run like the wind that will get there.

Oh oh horse, oh oh horse, oh oh horse,

oh oh horse, oh oh..."

• Artist:Roberto Vecchioni
• Album:Samarcanda