Venga pur, ma zitto, zitto

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of a clandestine arrival, a lover approaching with extreme stealth. The narrator instructs this visitor to "come, but quiet, quiet" and to tread "on tiptoe." This immediate sense of secrecy sets a tone of hushed anticipation, hinting at a forbidden or at least highly private encounter. The destination is clear: the narrator will lead the visitor directly to their "dear beloved sleeping." The scene then shifts to the beloved's resting place, described as a bed "that not even a king has." This opulent imagery elevates the beloved's status and the significance of their slumber, suggesting a preciousness that warrants such careful, silent approach. The description of the beloved's breathing, "alternating the breath in the chest, now lowering, now raising the breast," adds a tender, intimate detail, emphasizing their peaceful, vulnerable state. The most striking turn comes with the image of "shooing away the flies." This seemingly mundane action is juxtaposed with the grand declaration that "love's god" is doing it. This elevates the act of caretaking to a divine level, implying that even the most minor gestures for the beloved are imbued with god-like significance. The parenthetical lines, "You want it, and I of Orlando / Will make you crazier still," introduce a darker, more possessive or perhaps playfully manipulative undertone, suggesting the narrator's own desires and intentions might be more complex than simple facilitation. This lyrical construction is effective because it builds a world of intense intimacy and elevated emotion through precise, evocative details. The contrast between the quiet stealth and the regal bed, the tender observation of breathing, and the divine framing of fly-shooing all combine to create a powerful sense of devotion and perhaps a hint of possessive obsession. The final lines suggest the narrator is not merely a passive observer but an active agent in this unfolding drama of love, capable of driving the visitor to greater "you" to even greater madness.