Landing in Otranto, 1480 Lyrics


The landing was smooth,

There were only sporadic clashes among the soldiers

Of the surprised Aragonese garrison

And the massive enemy forces that landed.

Soon Italians, intimidated by the steady increase

Of the Ottoman strength, abandoned the hamlet

And retreated behind the citadel's walls.

The defendants, in the vain waiting for rescue,

Bravely repulsed the surrender request made by Ahmed.

"The infidels fled and entered into the castle and closing the door

Of the castle they opened the gate of the war.

The guns were breathing like mouths of giants

And when some infidel soldiers wanted to be seen as devils,

Stone balls took away their heads and their bodies clung next to the walls.

The plain next to the city was transformed into a sea of iron waves.

With the shimmer of the ramparts and the splendor

Of the helmets of steel the moon and the sun got frozen in the sky".

The walls, devoid of guns and poorly defended,

Were repeatedly hit by powerful artillery.