One should not rely on the absurd and shallow lyrics of 'Mirza' or 'Alexandre,' whose only interest for Nino lies in their sound ( ZAvez pas vu MirZA ), to judge his literary qualities.

     The Sacem prize he received for producing the text of 'Printemps Finlandais' in one hour on an imposed subject is certainly well-deserved: this poem follows the highly complex structure of 14th-century rondeaux and demonstrates Nino's solid classical background. He was writing regular poems in Italian at the age of ten, and his first songs in French adhered to the usual constraints of versification.
     However, it was when he set aside the technical aspects of writing that Nino produced his most beautiful texts.
Starting with 'La maison près de la fontaine' (1971), which came to him naturally, without a rhyming dictionary or regular verses, he let his instinct—undoubtedly imbued with the rhythm of classical verse and the music of the Italian language—guide his hand and his writing.

This approach gave rise to genuine little song-poems, sonorous and faithful to the smallest fluctuations of his soul and emotions.