Musica & Memoria / Nick Drake

Five Leaves Left (1969)

Time Has Told Me
River Man
Three Hours
Way To Blue
Day Is Done
'Cello Song
The Thoughts of Mary Jane
Man in a Shed
Fruit Tree
Saturday Sun

Time Has Told Me

Time has told me You're a rare rare find A troubled cure For a troubled mind.	(Leggi la traduzione* nella pagina dedicata a questa canzone)*
And time has told me Not to ask for more Someday our ocean Will find its shore.
So I`ll leave the ways that are making me be What I really don't want to be Leave the ways that are making me love What I really don't want to love.
Time has told me You came with the dawn A soul with no footprint A rose with no thorn.
Your tears they tell me There's really no way Of ending your troubles With things you can say.
And time will tell you To stay by my side To keep on trying 'til there's no more to hide.
So leave the ways that are making you be What you really don't want to be Leave the ways that are making you love What you really don't want to love.
Time has told me You're a rare rare find A troubled cure For a troubled mind.
And time has told me Not to ask for more For some day our ocean Will find its shore.


River Man

Betty came by on her way Said she had a word to say About things today And fallen leaves.	Betty arrivò seguendo la sua strada Disse che voleva dire una cosa Sulle cose di oggi E sulle foglie cadute
Said she hadn't heard the news Hadn't had the time to choose A way to lose But she believes.	Disse di non aver sentito le notizie Di non aver avuto il tempo di scegliere Una strada per perdere Ma che ha fede
Going to see the river man Going to tell him all I can About the plan For lilac time.	Andrò a trovare l'uomo del fiume Andrò a dirgli tutto quello che posso Sul progetto Per il tempo dei lillà
If he tells me all he knows About the way his river flows And all night shows In summertime.	Se lui mi dice tutto quello che sa Sul modo in cui scorre il suo fiume E su tutta quella che la notte Consente di vedere nel tempo d'estate (1)
Betty said she prayed today For the sky to blow away Or maybe stay She wasn't sure.	Betty disse di aver pregato, oggi Perché il cielo soffiasse via (la pioggia) (2) O forse perché rimanesse Non era sicura
For when she thought of summer rain Calling for her mind again She lost the pain And stayed for more.	Perché quando lei pensava alla pioggia d'estate Rivedendola ancora nella sua mente Lei dimenticava il dolore E resisteva più a lungo (3)
Going to see the river man Going to tell him all I can About the ban On feeling free.	Andrò a trovare l'uomo del fiume Andrò a dirgli tutto quello che posso Sul divieto Di sentirsi liberi
If he tells me all he knows About the way his river flows I don't suppose It's meant for me.	Se lui mi dice tutto quello che sa Sul modo in cui scorre il suo fiume Non immagino Che sia destinato a me
Oh, how they come and go Oh, how they come and go	Oh, come vanno e vengono… Oh, come vanno e vengono…

Three Hours

Three hours from sundown Jeremy flies Hoping to keep The sun from his eyes East from the city And down to the cave In search of a master In search of a slave.	Tre ore dal tramonto Jeremy vola (1) Sperando di mantenere Il sole negli occhi (Fino ad arrivare) a est della città E tornare giù nella (sua) caverna (2) In cerca di un padrone In cerca di uno schiavo
Three hours from London Jacomo's free Taking his woes Down to the sea In search of a lifetime To tell when he's home In search of a story That's never been known.	Tre ore da Londra Giacomo è libero Portando i suoi dolori Al mare In cerca di una vita intera Nella quale possa dire quando è a casa In cerca di una storia Che non è mai stata conosciuta
Three hours from speaking Everyone's flown Not wanting to be Seen on their own Three hours is needed To leave from them all Three hours to wonder And three hours to fall.	Tre ore dal discorso Tutti se ne sono andati Non volendo essere Visti da soli Tre ore sono abbastanza Per allontanarsi da tutti loro Tre ore per porsi delle domande E tre ore per cadere
Three hours from sundown Jeremy flies Hoping to keep The sun from his eyes East from the city And down to the cave In search of a master In search of a slave.	Tre ore dal tramonto Jeremy vola Sperando di tenere Il sole negli occhi A est della città E giù in una caverna In cerca di un padrone In cerca di uno schiavo


Way To Blue

Don't you have a word to show what may be done Have you never heard a way to find the sun Tell me all that you may know Show me what you have to show Won't you come and say If you know the way to blue?	(Leggi la traduzione nella pagina dedicata a questa canzone)
Have you seen the land living by the breeze Can you understand a light among the trees Tell me all that you may know Show me what you have to show Tell us all today If you know the way to blue?
Look through time and find your rhyme Tell us what you find We will wait at your gate Hoping like the blind.
Can you now recall all that you have known? Will you never fall When the light has flown? Tell me all that you may know Show me what you have to show Won't you come and say If you know the way to blue?

Day Is Done

When the day is done Down to earth then sinks the sun Along with everything that was lost and won When the day is done.	(Leggi la traduzione nella pagina dedicata a questa canzone)
When the day is done Hope so much your race will be all run Then you find you jumped the gun Have to go back where you began When the day is done.
When the night is cold Some get by but some get old Just to show life's not made of gold When the night is cold.
When the bird has flown Got no-one to call your own Got no place to call your home When the bird has flown.
When the game's been fought You speed the ball across the court Lost much sooner than you would have thought Now the game's been fought.
When the party's through Seems so very sad for you Didn't do the things you meant to do Now there's no time to start anew Now the party's through.
When the day is done Down to earth then sinks the sun Along with everything that was lost and won When the day is done.


'Cello Song

Strange face, with your eyes So pale and sincere. Underneath you know well You have nothing to fear. For the dreams that came to you when so young Told of a life Where spring is sprung.	Viso strano, con i tuoi occhi Così chiari e sinceri Dentro di te lo sai bene Di non aver nulla da temere Per i sogni che hai fatto quando, così giovane Ti hanno raccontato di una vita Nella quale è scoppiata la primavera
You would seem so frail In the cold of the night When the armies of emotion Go out to fight. But while the earth sinks to its grave You sail to the sky On the crest of a wave.	Sembreresti così fragile Nel gelo della notte Quando gli eserciti dell'emozione Escono per andare a combattere Ma mentre la terra scende verso la sua tomba (1) Tu salpi verso il cielo Sulla cresta di un'onda
So forget this cruel world Where I belong I'll just sit and wait And sing my song. And if one day you should see me in the crowd Lend a hand and lift me To your place in the cloud.	Quindi dimentica questo mondo crudele A cui appartengo Io non farò altro che sedermi e aspettare E cantare la mia canzone E se tu mi dovessi vedere un giorno tra la folla tendimi una mano e portami su Fino al tuo posto nella nuvola


The Thoughts of Mary Jane

Who can know The thoughts of Mary jane Why she flies Or goes out in the rain Where she's been And who she's seen In her journey to the stars.	Chi può conoscere I pensieri di Mary Jane? Perché vola O esce fuori nella pioggia? Dov'è stata E chi ha visto Nel suo viaggio verso le stelle?
Who can know The reasons for her smile What are her dreams When they've journeyed for a mile The way she sings And her brightly coloured rings Make her the princess of the sky.	Chi può sapere Il motivo del suo sorriso? Quali sono i suoi sogni Quando hanno viaggiato per un miglio? Il modo in cui canta E i suoi anelli brillanti e multicolori La fanno diventare la principessa del cielo
Who can know What happens in her mind Did she come from a strange world And leave her mind behind Her long lost sighs And her brightly coloured eyes Tell her story to the wind.	Chi può sapere Cosa succede nella sua mente? E' venuta da uno strano mondo E ha lasciato la sua mente dietro di sé? I suoi lunghi sospiri perduti E i suoi occhi scintillanti e colorati Raccontano al vento la sua storia
Who can know The thoughts of Mary Jane Why she flies Or goes out in the rain Where she's been And who she's seen In her journey to the stars.	Chi può conoscere I pensieri di Mary Jane? Perché vola O esce fuori nella pioggia? Dov'è stata E chi ha visto Nel suo viaggio verso le stelle?

Man in a Shed

Well there was a man who lived in a shed Spent most of his days out of his head For his shed was rotten let in the rain Said it was enough to drive any man insane When it rained He felt so bad When it snowed he felt just simply sad.	Bene, c'era un uomo che viveva in una casupola (1) Trascorreva la maggior parte dei suoi giorni fuori di testa / Perché la sua casupola era marcia e lasciava passare la pioggia Disse che questo bastava a far impazzire un uomo Quando pioveva Si sentiva così male Quando nevicava, si sentiva semplicemente triste
Well there was a girl who lived nearby Whenever he saw her he could only simply sigh But she lived in a house so very big and grand For him it seemed like some very distant land So when he called her His shed to mend, She said I'm sorry you'll just have to find a friend.	Bene, c'era una ragazza che viveva lì vicino Ogni volta che l'uomo la vedeva poteva soltanto sospirare Ma lei viveva in una casa così grande e imponente / Che a lui sembrava come una terra molto lontana Così, quando lui la chiamò Per riparare la sua casupola Lei gli rispose: "Scusa, ma dovresti proprio trovarti un amico"
Well this story is not so very new But the man is me, yes and the girl is you So leave your house come into my shed Please stop my world from raining through my head Please don't think I'm not your sort You'll find that sheds are nicer than you thought.	Bene, questa storia non è molto nuova Ma quell'uomo sono io, si, e la ragazza sei tu Così lascia la tua casa e vieni nella mia casupola Per piacere ferma il mio mondo, fai che non mi piova nella testa Per piacere non pensare che io non sia il tuo tipo Scoprirai che le casupole sono più carine di quanto tu potresti pensare

Fruit tree

Fame is but a fruit tree So very unsound. It can never flourish Till its stalk is in the ground. So men of fame Can never find a way Till time has flown Far from their dying day. Forgotten while you're here Remembered for a while A much updated ruin From a much outdated style.	(Leggi la traduzione nella pagina dedicata a questa canzone)
Life is but a memory Happened long ago. Theatre full of sadness For a long forgotten show. Seems so easy Just to let it go on by Till you stop and wonder Why you never wondered why.
Safe in the womb Of an everlasting night You find the darkness can Give the brightest light. Safe in your place deep in the earth That's when they'll know what you were really worth. Forgotten while you're here Remembered for a while A much updated ruin From a much outdated style.
Fame is but a fruit tree So very unsound. It can never flourish Till its stalk is in the ground. So men of fame Can never find a way Till time has flown Far from their dying day.
Fruit tree, fruit tree No-one knows you but the rain and the air. Don't you worry They'll stand and stare when you're gone.
Fruit tree, fruit tree Open your eyes to another year. They'll all know That you were here when you're gone.

Saturday Sun

Saturday sun came early one morning In a sky so clear and blue Saturday sun came without warning So no-one knew what to do. Saturday sun brought people and faces That didn't seem much in their day But when I remember those people and places They were really too good in their way. In their way In their way Saturday sun won't come and see me today.	Il sole del sabato spuntò presto, una mattina In un cielo così limpido e azzurro Il sole del sabato arrivò senza avvertire Così nessuno seppe cosa fare Il sole del sabato portò gente e volti Che non sembravano proprio appartenere al loro giorno Ma quando ricordo quella gente e quei luoghi Erano veramente troppo belli, a loro modo A loro modo A loro modo Il sole del sabato non verrà a trovarmi oggi
Think about stories with reason and rhyme Circling through your brain. And think about people in their season and time Returning again and again And again And again And Saturday's sun has turned to Sunday's rain.	Pensa a favole con la spiegazione e la rima Che girano per il tuo cervello E pensa alla gente nella loro stagione e nel loro tempo Che ritornerà ancora e ancora E ancora E ancora E il sole del sabato si è trasformato nella pioggia della domenica
So Sunday sat in the Saturday sun And wept for a day gone by.	Così, la domenica si sedette sul sole del sabato E pianse per un giorno che era passato

Note


Time Has Told Me (3:56)
Paul Harris, piano Richard Thompson, electric guitar Danny Thompson, bass
Tony Reif's interpretation of Time Has Told Me:
The image of a 'rose without a thorn' was made popular by Leonard McNally's eighteenth century poem 'The Lass Of Richmond Hill':
"On Richmond Hill there lives a lass More bright than May-day morn, Whose charms all others maids' surpass, A rose without a thorn."
(The song version has been the Official Regimental Song of The Green Howards Regiment of Yorkshire, England since 1789.)
River Man (4:28)
Arranged by the Scottish composer Harry Robinson.
This song is primarily in a 5/4 timing with occasional shifts to 4/4. Dave Brubeck's 'Take Five' aside, that was a rarely piece of music consistently in 5/4.
An excised verse culled posthumously from Nick's lyric notebook:
Betty fell behind awhile Said she hadn't time to smile Or die in style. But still she tries Said her time was growing short Hadn't done the things she ought Where teacher taught And Father flies
River Man influenced by a Wordsworth poem?
Iain Cameron's analysis of River Man & At The Chime Of A City Clock
A possible source for the expression 'lilac time' in River Man are the following lines from a poem called Barrel Organ, by Alfred Noyes (1880-1958):
"Go down to Kew in lilac-time, in lilac-time; Go down to Kew in lilac-time (it isn't far from London!) And you shall wander hand in hand with love in summer's wonderland; Go down to Kew in lilac-time (it isn't far from London!)"
Note alla traduzione
(1)	Letteralmente "di mostrare".
(2)	Soffiasse via cosa? Può essere qualcosa di simbolico (lei stessa, la vita) oppure, agganciandosi al verso successivo, semplicemente la pioggia d'estate, così comune in Inghilterra.
(3)	Letteralmente: "poteva restare".
Three Hours (6:01)
Danny Thompson, bass Rocki Dzidzornu, congas
The following verse is included on the original vinyl record cover (but not sung):
We had all the time, but failed to make sense From one side to the other we fell to the fence The one hope of failure had turned to the best While three hours had taken the hope of success
(1) The mentioning of 'Jeremy' in Three Hours is referring to Jeremy Mason, a friend of Nick's at Marlborough. Mason says: "When I asked Nick whether the tune was about me, he said yes. I said: 'Well, what does it mean?' He said: 'Well, if you don't know it doesn't matter...it's the way I perceived your situation at that time.'" (Humphries: 'Nick Drake', p. 95)
Note alla traduzione
(1)	Probabilmente la caverna è un riferimento metaforico alla casa verso cui si dirige il protagonista nelle ore che precedono il tramonto. Lì è in cerca di un padrone (o padrona) o di uno schiavo (o schiava), oppure di un padrone che è in cerca di uno schiavo.
Way To Blue (2:22)
Arranged by Robert Kirby
Day is done (3:05)
Arranged by Robert Kirby
'Cello Song (3:58)
Clare Lowter, 'cello Danny Thompson, bass Rocki Dzidzornu, congas
The Thoughts of Mary Jane (3:12)
Arranged by Robert Kirby
Man in a Shed (3:49)
Paul Harris, piano Danny Thompson, bass
Note alla traduzione
(1)	"Shed" è tipicamente il capanno attrezzi spesso presente nelle "house" di campagna o dintorni delle città inglesi. Proviamo a tradurlo con un termine un po' antico ma meno tecnico di "capanno".
Fruit Tree (4:42)
Arranged by Robert Kirby
Saturday Sun (3:56)
Paul Harris, piano Danny Thompson, bass Tristam Fry, drums & vibraphone

Note tratte dal sito The Nick Drake File.
Le altre traduzioni di Nick Drake: Bryter Layter, Pink Moon

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