La scala di seta [English translation]

I see shining—shining stars in the sky.

I wish for a silk stairway to take me up there.

I want a ladder that leads to paradise.

I want it made of silk, born of a river,

that rests on the mountains that rise up there

among the stars—the stars of the sky—of heaven.

There I go slowly and the angels see me

and they come near—they follow me up there

from step to step and hold the silk ladder—

made of silk for me.

I turn and look down and see the earth in darkness.

And I'm afraid—I'm afraid—and I climb —I climb up.

And I climb the ladder and I'm in heaven

among those little flames—I touch them—I count them—

there are many—there are a thousand—

then I see that they are the stars—the stars of heaven.

I turn and look down and see the earth in darkness.

And I'm afraid—I'm afraid—and I climb —I climb up.

I want a ladder that leads to paradise.

I want it made of silk, born of a river,

that rests on the mountains that rise up there

among the stars of the sky—

the stars of the sky—

the stars of heaven.