In honour of the Upper Sixth leaving FHS officially today, I remembered the gorgeous, soaring melody of ‘Con te partirò or ‘Time to say goodbye’ by Francesco Sartori and Luscio Quarantotto. The song was made global popularity when the blind tenor, Andrea Bocelli, first performed this piece at the 1995 Sanremo Music Festival and recorded it on his album, ‘Bocelli’, that same year. This song is considered to be Bocelli’s signature song as he went on to perform it with soprano, Sarah Brightman, and achieved even more success, topping charts all across Europe, where it became the biggest-selling single in history. Bocelli also recorded a full Spanish version of the song in 1997, titled ‘Por ti volaré’ (‘For you I will fly’).

Lyric Translation

I dream on the horizon
And words fail
Yes I know there isn’t light
In a room where the sun is absent
If you are not with me, with me

At the windows
Show everyone my heart
Which you set aflame
Enclose within me
The light you have
Encountered on the street

With you I shall leave
To countries I never
Saw and shared with you
Now yes I may experience them
I’ll go with you
On ships across seas
Which I know
No longer exists
With you I shall leave

When you are far
I dream on the horizon
And words fail
And yes I know
That you are with me
You my moon are here with me
My sun you are here with me
With me with me with me

With you I shall leave
To countries I never
Saw and shared with you
Now yes I may experience them
I’ll go with you
On ships across seas
Which I know
No longer exists
With you I will go
With you I shall leave
On ships across seas
Which I know
No longer exists
With you I shall leave
I will go with you

Maki Gajic Murata, Composer in Residence