’O sole mio

Introduction

"’O sole mio" (Neapolitan pronunciation: [o ˈsoːlə ˈmiːə]) is a globally known Neapolitan song written in 1898. Its lyrics were written by Giovanni Capurro and the music was composed by Eduardo di Capua and Alfredo Mazzucchi [it] (1878–1972). There are other versions of "’O sole mio" but it is usually sung in the original Neapolitan language. ’O sole mio is the Neapolitan equivalent of standard Italian Il mio sole and translates literally as "my sunshine".

Authorship and copyright

For nearly 75 years after its publication, the music of ’O sole mio had generally been attributed to Eduardo di Capua alone. According to the traditional account, di Capua had composed it in April 1898 in Odessa, while touring with his father's band. It has turned out, however, that the melody was an elaboration of one of 23 which di Capua had bought from another musician, Alfredo Mazzucchi, in the preceding year.

In November 1972, shortly after her father's death, Mazzucchi's daughter lodged a declaration with Italy’s Ufficio della Proprietà Letteraria Artistica e Scientifica (Office of Literary, Artistic and Scientific Property), which sought to have her father recognised as a co-composer of 18 of di Capua's songs, including ’O sole mio. In October 2002, Maria Alvau, a judge in Turin, upheld the declaration, ruling that Mazzucchi had indeed been a legitimate co-composer of the 18 songs, because they included melodies he had composed and then sold to di Capua in June of 1897, with a written authorisation for the latter to make free use of them. At the time of the decision, therefore, the melody of ’O sole mio had not yet—as had been widely supposed—entered into the public domain in any country that was a party to the Berne Convention during the relevant period. In most countries where copyright in a work lasts for 70 years after any of its authors' deaths, the melody will remain under copyright until 2042.

English versions

In 1915, Charles W. Harrison recorded the first English translation of "’O sole mio". In 1921, William E. Booth-Clibborn wrote lyrics for a hymn using the music, entitled "Down from His Glory."

In 1949 U.S. singer Tony Martin recorded "There's No Tomorrow" with lyrics by Al Hoffman, Leo Corday, and Leon Carr, which used the melody of "’O sole mio". About ten years later, while stationed in West Germany with the U.S. Army, Elvis Presley heard the recording and put to tape a private version of the song. Upon his discharge, he requested that new lyrics be written especially for him, a job that was undertaken by the songwriting duo of Aaron Schroeder and Wally Gold, with a demo by David Hill. The rewritten version was entitled "It's Now or Never" and was a worldwide hit for Presley. When performing it in concert in the mid-1970s, Elvis would explain the origin of "It's Now Or Never" and have singer Sherrill Nielsen perform a few lines of the original Neapolitan version before commencing with his version.

Bing Crosby included the song in a medley on his album 101 Gang Songs (1961).

In popular culture

• At the opening ceremony of the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, "’O sole mio" was played in place of the Italian national anthem, whose score had not been delivered to the band.
• A series of television commercials for Cornetto ice cream, broadcast regularly in Britain during the 1980s, used a jingle ("Just One Cornetto ...") set to the melody of "’O sole mio". The jingle was widely reported as having been performed by Renato Pagliari, but after Pagliari's death in 2009, his son denied this.

Lyrics

意大利文歌词
Che bella cosa e' na jurnata 'e sole
n'aria serena doppo na tempesta!
Pe' ll'aria fresca pare già na festa
Che bella cosa e' na jurnata 'e sole
Ma n'atu sole,
cchiù bello, oje ne'
'O sole mio
sta 'nfronte a te!
'O sole, 'o sole mio
sta 'nfronte a te!
sta 'nfronte a te!
Quanno fa notte e 'o sole se ne scenne,
me vene quase 'na malincunia;
sotto 'a fenesta toia restarria
quanno fa notte e 'o sole se ne scenne.
Ma n'atu sole,
cchiù bello, oje ne'
'O sole mio
sta 'nfronte a te!
'O sole, 'o sole mio
sta 'nfronte a te!
sta 'nfronte a te!

中文歌词
多么辉煌那灿烂的阳光
暴风雨过去后天空多晴朗
清新的空气令人心仪神旷
多么辉煌那灿烂的阳光
(贝司)
啊你的眼睛闪烁着光芒
仿佛那太阳灿烂辉煌
眼睛闪烁着光芒
仿佛太阳灿烂辉煌
(同响)
(男高音起)
当黑夜来临太阳不再发光
我心中凄凉独自在彷徨
(切换)
向你的窗口不断的张望
当黑夜来临太阳不再发光
啊你的眼睛闪烁着光芒
仿佛那太阳灿烂辉煌
眼睛闪烁着光芒
仿佛太阳灿烂辉煌
仿佛太阳灿烂辉煌
仿佛太阳灿烂辉煌
她的眼睛永远是我心中的最美