Il Pescatore Lyrics in English Fabrizio De André

Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Il Pescatore by Fabrizio De André from Italian to English.
In the shadow of the last sun
A fisherman had dozed off
And he had a furrow down his face
Like some kind of smile
A killer came to the beach
Two big kid eyes
Two huge eyes of fear
Were the mirrors of an adventure
And he asked the old man 'give me bread
I've got little time and too much hunger'
And he asked the old man 'give me wine
I'm thirsty and I'm a killer'
The old man opened his eyes to the day
He didn't even look around
But he poured the wine and broke the bread
For the one who said 'I'm thirsty, I'm hungry'
And it was the heat of a moment
Then off again toward the wind
Still the sun before his eyes
Behind his back a fisherman
Behind his back a fisherman
And memory is already pain
It's already the regret of an April
Played in the shadow of a courtyard
Two gendarmes came on horseback
They came on horseback with their weapons
They asked the old man if nearby
A killer had passed
But in the shadow of the last sun
The fisherman had dozed off
And he had a furrow down his face
Like some kind of smile
And he had a furrow down his face
Like some kind of smile
Lyrics and Translations Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Fabrizio De Andre, Gian Piero Reverberi, Franco Zauli
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SONG MEANING

Picture a sleepy seaside at sunset, where an old fisherman dozes with a faint wrinkle on his face that looks like a half-smile. Out of nowhere a terrified young man appears; he is a confessed murderer, but also just a hungry, thirsty human with child-like eyes. Instead of judging or questioning, the fisherman silently shares his bread and wine. This brief act of kindness becomes the heart of the song: no matter someone’s past, a gesture of simple humanity can shine brighter than fear or guilt.

Moments later two armed policemen ride in, hunting for the killer. They find only the fisherman, now peacefully asleep again, still wearing that mysterious smile. Did he protect the fugitive? Did he drift back into dreams? Fabrizio De André leaves the answer open, inviting us to think about mercy, compassion, and the quiet rebellion of helping a stranger even when the law says otherwise. "Il Pescatore" turns a small seaside scene into a timeless reflection on forgiveness and the power of empathy.

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