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The Italian reading room
One sentence of «Le arance d’oro»
Canta, canta, canta, mi si aggravavano gli occhi.
It sang and sang and sang, and my eyes grew heavy.
Where it stands
The sentences either side of it, each with its own page.
“Majesty, it is not my fault.
È venuto un cardellino, si è posato sopra un ramo e si è messo a cantare.
A goldfinch came, perched on a branch and began to sing.
Lo scacciai da quel ramo, ma andò a posarsi sopra un altro.
I drove it off that branch, but it went and perched on another.
Canta, canta, canta, non mi reggevo dal sonno.
It sang and sang and sang, and I could not hold myself up for sleep.
Every word in it
| As printed | Dictionary form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Canta | cantare | to sing; cantare in culla — to foretell at the cradle (v.) |
| mi | mi | me, to me, myself (pron.) |
| si | si | oneself, himself, themselves (reflexive); one (impersonal: si vedeva — could be seen) (pron.) |
| aggravavano | aggravare | to weigh down, to make heavy; aggravarsi — to grow heavy (v.) |
| gli | gli | to him; the (m. pl. article before a vowel or s + consonant); gli è — it is (Tuscan) (pron.) |
| occhi | occhio | eye (n., m.) |
Read «Le arance d’oro» in the room Every word glossed where it stands, the English a tap away. This scene asks for no account.