Caruso

I was listening to Pavarotti's song "Caruso" today for the first time in a while. I used to listen to it and even sing it in the past, but back then, I couldn't understand Italian. Now that I do, I suddenly grasp its meaning clearly. It's so beautiful. Even some tears appeared in my eyes.

"Su una vecchia terrazza davanti al golfo di Surriento
Un uomo abbraccia una ragazza dopo che aveva pianto
Poi si schiarisce la voce e ricomincia il canto."

The French interpretation by Mireille Mathieu is:

"Sur la vieille terrasse au bord du golfe de Sorrente
Un homme serre une fille très fort sans retenir ses larmes
La gorge nouée de chagrin, pourtant malgré lui il chante."

And the refrain in French starts with "Je t'aime tant, je t'aime." But the interesting thing is that Italian has a more precise way of expressing this feeling. It's not just "Ti amo tanto, ti amo." The actual phrase in the song is "Ti voglio tanto bene," or in Neapolitan dialect, "Te voglio bene assaje." That means a deep affection far beyond just romantic attraction. Such a detail!