Starry, starry night.
Paint your palette blue and grey,
Look out on a summer’s day,
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills,
Sketch the trees and the daffodils,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills,
In colors on the snowy linen land.
Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they’ll listen now.
Starry, starry night.
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze,
Swirling clouds in violet haze,
Reflect in Vincent’s eyes of china blue.
Colors changing hue, morning field of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined in pain,
Are soothed beneath the artist’s loving hand.
Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they’ll listen now.
For they could not love you,
But still your love was true.
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night,
You took your life, as lovers often do.
But I could have told you, Vincent,
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you.
Starry, starry night.
Portraits hung in empty halls,
Frameless head on nameless walls,
With eyes that watch the world and can’t forget.
Like the strangers that you’ve met,
The ragged men in the ragged clothes,
The silver thorn of bloody rose,
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.
Now I think I know what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they’re not listening still.
Perhaps they never will…
with love to Vincent
- Don McLean -
Vincent
Guarderò le stelle
com’erano la notte ad Arles,
appese sopra il tuo boulevard;
io sono dentro agli occhi tuoi,
Víncent.
Sognerò i tuoi fiori,
narcisi sparpagliati al vento,
il giallo immenso e lo scontento
negli occhi che non ridono,
negli occhi tuoi,
Vincent.
Dolce amico mio,
fragile compagno mio,
al lume spento della tua pazzia
te ne sei andato via,
piegando il collo
come il gambo di un fiore:
scommetto un girasole.
Sparpagliato grano,
pulviscolo spezzato a luce
e bocche aperte senza voce
nei vecchi dallo sguardo che non c’è
poi le nostre sedie
le nostre sedie così vuote
così “persone”,
così abbandonate
e il tuo tabacco sparso qua e là.
Dolce amico,
fragile compagno mio
che hai tentato sotto le tue dita
di fermarla, la vita:
come una donna amata alla follia
la vita andava via:
e più la rincorrevi
e più la dipingevi a colpi rossi
gialli come dire “Aspetta!”,
fino a che i colori
non bastaron più…
e avrei voluto dirti, Vincent,
questo mondo non meritava
un uomo bello come te!
Guarderò le stelle,
la tua, la mia metà del mondo
che sono le due scelte in fondo:
o andare via o rimanere via.
Dolce amico mio,
fragile compagno mio,
io, in questo mare,
non mi perdo mai;
ma in ogni mare sai
“tous le bateaux
vont à l’hazard pour rien”.
Addio, da Paul Gauguin.
- Vecchioni -