One of the most poignant songs of our times is The Prayer, a crossover duet recorded by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and Canada’s best-selling recording artist Celine Dion. Written by David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager, Alberto Testa and Tony Renis, it won a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 1999 and, a year later, was nominated for an Academy Award and Grammy Award.
The ballad was originally recorded in two solo versions – one in English and the other in Italian – for the film Quest for Camelot, appearing on the official soundtrack. However, the decision was later made to combine the two songs into a single bilingual track and release it as a single on March 1st 1999. It appears on their respective albums Sogno (Bocelli) and These Are Special Times (Dion).
The Prayer – Listen on YouTube
Here is one of the most famous performances of The Prayer at Central Park, New York in 2011. It has been viewed more than 170 million times on YouTube.
The Prayer – English & Italian Lyrics (with Translation)
I pray you’ll be our eyesAnd watch us where we goAnd help us to be wiseIn times when we don’t knowLet this be our prayerWhen we lose our wayLead us to a placeGuide us with your graceTo a place where we’ll be safe
La luce che tu dai (the light that you give)I pray we’ll find your lightNel cuore resterà (In my heart it will remain)And hold it in our heartsA ricordarci che(To remind us that)When stars go out each nightL’eterna stella sei (You are the eternal star)
Nella mia preghiera(In my prayer)Let this be our prayerQuanta fede c’è (There is so much faith)When shadows fill our dayLead us to a placeGuide us with your graceGive us faith so we’ll be safe
Sogniamo un mondo senza più violenza (We dream of a world with no more violence)Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza (A world of justice and hope)Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino (Everyone shakes hands with their neighbour)Simbolo di pace e di fraternità (A symbol of peace and fraternity)
La forza che ci dai (The strength you give us)We ask that life be kindÈ il desiderio che (And the desire that)And watch us from aboveOgnuno trovi amor(Everyone will find love)We hope each soul will findIntorno e dentro a sé (Around and inside themselves)Another soul to loveLet this be our prayerLet this be our prayerJust like every childJust like every child
Need to find a place,Guide us with your graceGive us faith so we’ll be safeE la fede che (And the faith that)Hai acceso in noi(You have ignited within us)Sento che ci salverà (I feel it will save us)
The Prayer – Italian Lyrics (with Translation)
Bocelli’s Italian version of The Prayer is available on the soundtrack of the film Quest for Camelot, alongside Dion’s English version. You can listen to it below and follow along with the lyrics and translation.
Oh, Dio che tutto sai, ricordati di noiInsegnaci la via, che a te ci condurràSe ti giungerà, questa mia preghieraTu l’ascolterai e ci salveraiI tuoi figli siamo noi
Oh, God you know all, remember usTeach us the way, which will lead us to youIf it reaches you, this prayer of mineYou will listen to it and you will save usWe are your children
La luce che tu dai(I pray you’ll be my light)Nel cuore resterà(And watch us where we go)E ricordarci che(And help us to be wise)Eterna stella sei
The light that you give(I pray you’ll be my light)Will remain in my heart(And watch us where we go)And remind us that(And help us to be wise)You are the eternal star
Nella mia preghiera(Let this be our prayer)Quanta fede c’è(When we lose our way)Se ci guiderai, tu ci salveraiGli occhi nostri sono i tuoi
In my prayer(Let this be our prayer)There is so much faith(When we lose our way)If you guide us, you will save usOur eyes are yours
Sogniamo un mondo senza più violenzaUn mondo di giustizia e di speranzaUn nuovo dio d’amore su ogni terraSimbolo di pace, di fraternità
We dream of a world with no more violenceA world of justice and hopeA new god of love on every landSymbol of peace, of fraternity
La forza che ci dàÈ il desiderio cheOgnuno trovi amorIntorno e dentro séQuesta mia preghieraRivolgiamo a teE la fede che hai acceso in noiSento che ci salveràE la fede che hai acceso in noiSento che ci salverà
The strength it gives usIs the desire thatEveryone finds loveAround and within themselvesThis my prayerWe appeal to youAnd the faith you ignited in usI feel it will save usAnd the faith you ignited in usI feel it will save us
