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Anonymous translation O ITALY, my country! I behold | |
Thy columns, and thine arches, and thy walls, | |
And the proud statues of our ancestors; | |
The laurel and the mail with which our sires | |
Were clad, these I behold not, nor their fame. | 5 |
Why thus unarmed, with naked breast and brow? | |
What means that livid paleness, those deep wounds? | |
To heaven and earth I raise my voice, and ask | |
What hand hath brought thee to this low estate, | |
Who, worse than all, hath loaded thee with chains, | 10 |
So that, unveiled and with dishevelled hair, | |
Thou sittest on the ground disconsolate, | |
Hiding thy weeping face between thy knees? | |
Ay, weep, Italia! thou hast cause to weep! | |
Degraded and forlorn. Yes, were thine eyes | 15 |
Two living fountains, never could thy tears | |
Equal thy desolation and thy shame! | |
Fallen!ruined!lost! who writes or speaks of thee, | |
But, calling unto mind thine ancient fame, | |
Exclaims, Once she was mighty! Is this she? | 20 |
Where is thy vaunted strength, thy high resolve? | |
Who from thy belt hath torn the warrior sword? | |
How hast thou fallen from thy pride of place | |
To this abyss of misery! Are there none | |
To combat for thee, to defend thy cause? | 25 |
To arms! Alone I ll fight and fall for thee! | |
Content if my best blood strike forth one spark | |
To fire the bosoms of my countrymen. | |
Where are thy sons! I hear the clang of arms, | |
The din of voices, and the bugle-note; | 30 |
Sure they are fighting for a noble cause! | |
Yes, one faint hope remains,I see,I see | |
The fluttering of banners in the breeze; | |
I hear the tramp of horses and of men, | |
The roar of cannon, and, like glittering lamps | 35 |
Amid the darkening gloom, the flash of swords. | |
Is there no comfort? And who combat there | |
In that Italian camp? Alas, ye gods, | |
Italian brands fight for a foreign lord! | |
O, miserable those whose blood is shed | 40 |
Not for their native land, for wife or child, | |
But for a stranger lord,who cannot say | |
With dying breath, My country! I restore | |
The life thou givest, and gladly diefor thee! | |
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