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| Southern Europe: Italy | |
|---|---|
| Ma se ghe penso But if I think about | |
Original text | |
O l'êa partîo sensa 'na palanca, l'êa zâ trent'anni, fòrse anche ciù. O l'aveiva lotòu pe mette i dinæ a-a banca e poèisene un giorno vegnî in zù e fâse a palasinn-a e o giardinetto, co-o ranpicante, co-a cantinn-a e o vin, a branda atacâ a-i èrboi, a ûzo létto, pe dâghe 'na schenâ séia e matin. Ma o figgio o ghe dixeiva: «No ghe pensâ a Zena, cöse ti ghe veu tornâ?!» Ma se ghe penso alôa mi veddo o mâ, veddo i mæ monti, a ciassa da Nonçiâ, riveddo o Righi e me s'astrenze o cheu, veddo a lanterna, a cava, lazù o Meu... Riveddo a-a séia Zena iluminâ, veddo là a Fôxe e sento franze o mâ e alôa mi penso ancon de ritornâ a pösâ e òsse dôve ò mæ madonâ. E l'êa pasòu do tenpo, fòrse tròppo, o figgio o l'inscisteiva: «Stemmo ben, dôve ti veu andâ, papà?.. pensiêmo dòppo, o viâgio, o mâ, t'ê vêgio, no conven!». «Oh no, oh no! me sento ancon in ganba, son stùffo e no ne pòsso pròpio ciû, son stanco de sentî señor caramba, mi véuggio ritornâmene ancon in zù... Ti t'ê nasciûo e t'æ parlòu spagnòllo, mi son nasciûo zeneize e... no me mòllo!». Ma se ghe penso alôa mi veddo o mâ, veddo i mæ monti, a ciassa da Nonçiâ, riveddo o Righi e me s'astrenze o cheu, veddo a lanterna, a cava, lazù o Meu... Riveddo a-a séia Zena iluminâ, veddo là a Fôxe e sento franze o mâ e alôa mi penso ancon de ritornâ a pösâ e òsse dôve ò mæ madonâ. E sensa tante cöse o l'é partîo e a Zena o gh'à formòu torna o so nîo. | |
English Translation | |
He had left without having a single penny, thirty years ago, perhaps even more. He had struggled to put his money in a bank and to be free to come back some day and to build his house and his little garden with a creeper, a cellar and the wine, with a hammock tied to the trees to use it as a bed, to rest on it in the evening and morning. But his son told him «Don’t think about Genoa, do you really want to go back there?!» But if I think about, then I see the sea, I see my mountains, the Annunziata square* I see Righi** again, and I feel a pang in my heart, I see the Lanterna***,the cave and the Dock down there … I see again Genoa by night, illuminated, I see the Mouth on the shore and I hear the sea dashing, and then I think to go back again to lay my bones where my grandmother is. And a lot of time passed, perhaps too much, his son insisted: «We're fine here, where want you to go, dad? we’ll think about later: the travel, the sea, you’re old... it isn’t convenient!» «Oh no, oh no! I’m still quite smart, I’m fed up, I can't stand it anymore, I’m tired to hear “señor caramba” I want to go back again down there… You speak Spanish since you was born, I was born in Genoa and …I won’t give up!» But if I think about, then I see the sea, I see my mountains, the Annunziata square, I see Righi again, and I feel a pang in my heart, I see the Lanterna, the cave and the Dock down there … I see again Genoa by night, illuminated, I see the Mouth on the shore and I hear the sea dashing, and then I think to go back again to lay my bones where my grandmother is. And without any fuss he departed and in Genoa he built his nest again. Notes: *An ancient church in the historic center of Genoa. **A hilly district in Genoa. ***The historic lighthouse of Genoa. Credits Song: Ligurian folk song Singer: Mina Animation: Courtesy of salvovsc olé Ligurian text and English translation: Hampsicora on lyricstranslate.com | |
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