Brother Sun Sister Moon - differences between the english and the italian song

here you are the two songs from the soundtrack of Franco Zeffirelli's masterpiece: I personally prefer the Donovan version, maybe because is different from what I've always listen to, but in my opinion it's less "catholic" (someone could say "obviously..."), is more direct to the love of the nature instead of god strictly.
the italian (also known as "Dolce Sentire"), apart from the fact that's long as a Mass..., has more references to the christian doctrine and the Laudes Creaturarum (Canticle Of The Sun), although I feel it more profound.
it takes the place of "on this lovely day" in the movie.
the Donovan song is also in an unseen scene (unfoutunately) in the italian cut of the film, where Francesco is running in the hills to the ruined church after the vision of the eyes-open Christ.
anyway they're both two beautiful pieces of music and it's senseless to say which is better.
TRANSLATIONS / traduzioni:
_Fratello Sole, Sorella Luna
raramente vi vedo, raramente odo la vostra melodia
assorto in egoista infelicità.
Fratello Vento e Sorella Aria
aprite i miei occhi a visioni pure e gentili
che io possa vedere la gloria attorno a me.
Io sono una creatura di Dio, di lui sono parte
io sento il suo amore risvegliare il mio cuore.
Fratello Sole, Sorella Luna
ora vi vedo, ora posso udire il vostro suono
così tanto innamorato di tutto ciò che scorgo.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
dolce sentire, come nel mio cuore
ora umilmente, sta nascendo amore
dolce capire, che non son più solo
ma che son parte, di una immensa vita
che generosa, risplende intorno a me
dono di Lui, del suo immenso amore
ci ha dato il cielo, e le chiare stelle
Fratello Sole, e Sorella Luna
la madre terra, con frutti, prati e fiori
il fuoco e il vento, l'aria e l'acqua pura
fonte di vita per le sue creature
dono di Lui, del suo immenso amore
Mistakes:
1:28 i wrote "now I" instead "I now"
5:00 i wrote "of " instead "for"

[@Robert-yb2et]

何度聴いても胸に染みる名曲。 現代では、このような純粋な曲は珍しく誰か作曲できるだろうか？ イタリア語盤のCDを持っているが何と言っても良いね。

[@angelinenaderson8795]

This song wakening my mind, thank you God for this beautiful song which can touch millions souls, St. Francisco touch souls which are in darkness,bring them back to the light.

[@ainsbaroz1905]

Both versions are beautiful and have brought so many back to a deeper relationship with their God and their church - including me . Children really love the videos that go with the Donovan songs and the Dolce Sentire. Seeing the variety and goodness of nature is a means of knowing and loving God. St Francis was helped through scripture and nature to deepen his love of God and others.

[@sondrajacobs850]

I love both songs, but especially the Italian version. It makes me cry.

[@Mathuradasji]

In Zeffereli's auto biography he says he originally wanted the Beatles to do the soundtrack. He also ended up writing most of the screenplay after working with a few others and deciding that he finally had to tweek it himself. Much prefer Donovan's version, maybe I'm biased as I'm English. I had a profound spiritual experience in the cinema when I saw this in 73 as a 16 year old. First time in my life where I felt the Divine presence.

[@pegintx]

I had a profound experience too when watching this at that time. It was life-changing.

[@nafbchapelmusic8800]

Such a great comparison, we can learn from both, thank you for the post!

[@dalecs47]

What a beautiful presentation. Thank you so much!

[@fool1shmortal]

Thanks for the Italian version! I never heard of it. It is better worded. Despite a couple versions of his story, such as the Mickey Rourke version, he was still very much Catholic in his youth, but he expressed the charity part less piously before his conversion. He never would have embraced a leper before then. How many who shy away from faith would serve those who could pass onto them their disfiguring and/or deadly diseases? Fr. Damian was not as lucky on Molokai in that regard.

[@teppokulmala4825]

Donovan´s song is fantastic, heavenly,,,

[@silviaadrianainsaurralde6337]

Paz y Bien ❤

[@isabelarcher2924]

Donovan è stato un autentico artista e ha sempre dato il meglio di sé nei brani dolci e delicati, per non parlare del tema medievale. La sua versione di questo brano, a mio avviso, è guastata dalla rapidità dell'esecuzione: la velocità eccessiva della musica penalizza la dolcezza del canto e la bellezza del testo. La versione di Baglioni è, giustamente, più lenta. Ma la voce di Baglioni (che, personalmente, trovo piacevole soltanto in pochissimi brani, suoi o di altri) non regge il paragone con quella di Donovan.

[@hutiray]

thank you for this wonderfull music and text. it is good to take more time with them. Both are beautiful but different:)

[@mariafarkas6620]

Számomra ,meg unhatatlan !!!! Nagyon SZERETEM !!!!!!! Csodálatos !!!!!!!

[@AirForceChmtrails]

Very nice 👍.

[@FrancescoCarpinteri]

Wonderful both

[@stephenmedza970]

Daniel is correct, but I love both versions of this beautiful tune.

[@danielgallup7733]

The Italian version is truer to St. Francis; Donavan's version is truer to Donavan.

[@fool1shmortal]

Thanks for the Italian version! I never heard of it. It is better worded. Despite a couple versions of his story, such as the Mickey Rourke version, he was still very much Catholic in his youth, but he expressed the charity part less piously before his conversion. He never would have embraced a leper before then. How many who shy away from faith would serve those who could pass onto them their disfiguring and/or deadly diseases? Fr. Damia n was not as lucky on Molokai in that regard.

[@jamesmanon3000]

I have the Fratello Sole soundtrack on vinyl.

[@ZuccaEZagara]

I think Donovan's version reflects the simplicity and freedom of St. Francis' figure better than Claudio Baglioni's one. Of course, both versions have their own beauties, but the process of inner dissolution comes out better from the English version. I'm translating the movie into Classical Hindi taking the English version as a base, but concerning the songs, I need to think whether I should prefer the English or the Italian soundtracks. Because of the syllable numbers, Little Church seems extra difficult to convert into Hindi! Currently also doubted whether it's worthwhile to translate the songs, because when it comes to publicity (I'd love to have my translation realised as dubbing), I'd need to pay royalty to atleast four directions (Zeffirelli, Lina Wertmüller, Kenneth Ross and Donovan P. Leitch). It would be fun but costly to organise a choir to realise the Hindi versions of the soundtracks.

[@7Ananda]

Admiring your work and honoring your mission of bringing awakening the hearts of many beings in different corners of the world.

[@abu7zboon]

when I was a kid, I thought the "of him I am part" part was; "a pimp by and by"

[@ettore4964]

sono due grandi artisti difficile dire quale interpretazione sia migliore, io preferisco quella di Baglioni, diciamo che sono a pari merito o ad un livello molto vicino, infine Donovan scrisse le parole ma il tema è di Ortolani

[@ramondiazshow]

No. Es un error. La canción es letra y música de Donovan. Lo dice en los créditos de la película. Ortolani compuso la versión instrumental para orquesta basada en la melodía original de Donovan.

[@TolmanCotton]

But where's the message of St. Francis in the Donovan's version?

[@silviaadrianainsaurralde6337]

paz y bien alabado San Francisco

[@jessestone562]

Both are wonderful. But I grew up with Donovan's version. So, I love it a bit more. Plus, the lack of not knowing the Latin language makes it extremely difficult for me to understand the song the way Italians could.

[@danielperr1071]

That's a good question!

[@ianarmer8564]

Although Donovan added his own lyrics. Ortolani composed the theme.

[@donnaclarke429]

Donovan penned this song, so I prefer his interpretation - As the writer knows what is in his heart.

[@micheleabate146]

The music is by Ritz Ortolani, Donovan writed ony the englisch lyric

[@ramondiazshow]

​@@micheleabate146That is an error. Donovan wrote the lyrics and music for all the songs and presented them to Zeffirelli long before filming began. Ortolani composed the instrumental version for orchestra for the Italian version of the film.

[@95526628]

AMEN+++

[@ianarmer8564]

Donovan did NOT pen this song, the original composer for the Italian version of the film, Riz Ortolani, composed this - Donovan composed the other songs on the US version. Bizarrely, 1 Donovan song is in the Italian version which excises all the other songs and the replacement score by Ken Thorne which bastardised Ortolani's music and incorporated Donovan's themes. PHEW! Got that? It is a lovely song, however, no matter who sings it. :D

[@chernjam]

I have had the English version of the movie for close to 25 years (first a VHS and now a DVD) and always wondered why there was never a soundtrack for this. After watching the film again today, I started looking it up and found Donovan's 2004 version which I really did not care for... and I knew I had heard the Italian version of the song. This kind of clarifies things - so Ortolani wrote the score and then they brought in Donovan to make an English version - so it's not really his songs since the melody is pretty much a direct lift from the original.

[@ramondiazshow]

Not true. Donovan wrote the lyrics and music for all the songs and presented them to Zeffirelli long before filming began. Ortolani composed the instrumental version for orchestra for the italian versión of the film. If you see the credits of the movie it clearly says Lyrics and Music by Donovan.

[@user-vg7jc7hy6z]

I want some cheese Italy cheese 🧀

[@ximenasebastian8596]

🌍🕊ES EL DESEO DE DIOS QUE MISIONE A TRAVÉS DE LAS LOCUCIONES DIVINAS MISTICA EN LAS PÁGINAS RELACIONADO CON SAN FRANCISCO DE ASÍS MI PRIMER AMOR SEMPITERNO COMO ESCRITORAARTISTA CRISTINA

[@mariafarkas6620]

Az angol változat sokkal,de sokkal jobban tetszik !!!!!!

[@petarsakac7371]

"but in my opinion it's less "catholic" I bet you also wish that St. Francis was a bit less catholic...

[@patriziasforza8484]

No he was the most catholic, but t other catholics are less catholic than him, popes, priests all of them. Who can be better than a saint?

[@koolertrek]

Please capitalize God when you refer to the Almighty!