Sardegna, an isolated but beautiful microcosm floating apart from Italy in the Tyrrhenian Sea, and far from the new world, America. The ancient world waits to catch up with the modern stories unfolding in other lands but remains undiscovered as though stuck in its ancient history. The poetess, young and ambitious but sewn to her roots, tells a bird to carry a message: I am here, still waiting to be discovered.

1. CANTU
Romina (voice)

– O limbazu chi ammentas su rumanu  / O language that throws back to the Romans
durche faeddu de sa patria mea,  /  Sweet fairy tale of my patriotic land.
tristu comente cantu ‘e filumena  /  sad like the song of the Filomena bird
chi in sas rosas si dormit a manzanu,  /  that amidst the roses, sleeps until morning
– cola su mare  /  – the boat undulates,
e cando in sa fiorida America  / and when it flourishes, you’ll be in America
nche ses a tottus nara  /  tell everyone
chi s’isula ‘e Sardigna isettat galu  /  that the island of Sardinia is still waiting
de esser iscoperta e connoschida…  /  to be discovered and known.

Sardinian (original)  /  English translation (Romina Di Gasbarro)
Poem by Grazie Deledda . Music by Romina Di Gasbarro © 2018 Romina Di Gasbarro (SOCAN)

Music written in the ancient Sardinian, polyphonic tradition of Cantu a tenore. Text references the question of language in Italy, cultural division, subordination of women and artists, and watching the world seemingly move.