La Leggenda del Piave

The Piave whispered,
calm and peaceful, as the first troops passed by,
on May 24th.
The army marched
to reach the border
to build a barrier against the enemy.

Silent passed that night the soldiers:
they had to be quiet, and move on!
Meanwhile, from the beloved shores,
the soft and gentle sound of the waves was heard.
It was a sweet and flattering omen,
the Piave whispered:

The foreigner shall not pass!

But on a sad night,
talk of betrayal arose,
and the Piave heard the anger and dismay.
Oh, how many people it saw
come down, leave their homes,
for the shame suffered at Caporetto!

Refugees everywhere! From the distant mountains,
they came to fill all its bridges!
Then, from the violated shores,
the soft and sad murmur of the waves was heard:
like a sob, in that dark autumn,
the Piave whispered:

The foreigner returns!

And the enemy returned;
for pride and hunger,
it wanted to unleash all its desires.
It saw the open plain,
from up there: it wanted again
to feast and revel like before.

No!, said the Piave, No! soldiers,
Never again shall the enemy take a step forward!

The Piave was seen swelling its banks,
and as the soldiers fought, the waves fought back.
Red with the blood of the arrogant enemy,
the Piave commanded:

Back you go, foreigner!

The enemy retreated
all the way to Trieste, to Trento.
And victory spread its wings to the wind!
The ancient pact was sacred:
among the ranks, were seen
Oberdan, Sauro, and Battisti rising again.

At last, the Italian valor broke,
the gallows and the arms of the Executioner!

Safe the Alps... Free the shores.
And the Piave fell silent: the waves calmed.
On the homeland's soil, defeated the grim Empires,
Peace found neither
oppressed nor foreigners!

On the homeland's soil, defeated the grim Empires,
Peace found neither
oppressed nor foreigners!