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 GIUSEPPE GIOACHINO BELLI sonnets |
 other subjects: SOCIETY AND EVERYDAY'S LIFE PRIESTS, FRIARS, POPES, AND THE CHURCH OF ROME |
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BIBLICAL SUBJECTS
LA CREAZZIONE DER MONNO L'anno che Gesucristo impastò er monno, Ché pe impastallo già c'era la pasta, Verde lo vorze fà, grosso e ritonno, All'uso d'un cocommero de tasta. Fece un zole, una luna e un mappamonno, Ma de le stelle poi dì una catasta: Su ucelli, bestie immezzo, e pesci in fonno: Piantò le piante, e doppo disse: "Abbasta". Me scordavo de dì che creò l'omo, E coll'omo la donna, Adamo e Eva; E je proibbì de nun toccaje un pomo. Ma appena che a maggnà l'ebbe viduti, Strillò per dio con quanta voce aveva: "Ommini da vienì, sete futtuti" |
THE CREATION OF THE WORLD By the time Jesus Christ kneaded the world, And the stuff for doing so was already there, He wanted it to be green, big and round, Like a ripe water-melon. He made a sun, a moon and a globe, And a real multitude of stars: Birds above, animals midway, and fishes at the bottom: He planted plants, and then said: "It's enough". I forgot to say that he created man, And, with man, woman too, Adam and Eve; And he forbade them to touch a fruit. But as soon as he saw them eating, By God, he shouted as loud as he could: "People to come, you're in big trouble". |
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ER GIORNO DER GIUDIZZIO Quattro angioloni co le tromme in bocca Se metteranno uno pe cantone A ssonà: poi co ttanto de vocione Cominceranno a dì: "Fora a chi ttocca". Allora vierà su una filastrocca De schertri da la terra a ppecorone, Pe ripijà ffigura de perzone Come purcini attorno de la biocca. E sta biocca sarà Dio benedetto, Che ne farà du' parte, bianca, e nera: Una pe annà in cantina, una sur tetto. All'urtimo uscirà 'na sonajera D'angioli, e, come si ss'annassi a letto, Smorzeranno li lumi, e bona sera. |
THE JUDGEMENT DAY 1 Four huge angels blowing trumpets Will stand one in each corner, Playing: then in a thundering voice They will start calling: "Who's next?". And a row of skeletons Will come out of the earth crawling on all fours, To take human form again Like chicks around the brooding hen. And this hen will be the holy God Who will divide them into two groups, white and black: One to be sent down to the cellar, one to the roof 2 . In the end, a crowd of angels Will come out, and, as if going to bed, They'll turn out the lights, and everything will be over. |
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1. - One of the most famous sonnets by Belli, in which the vivid characters and the powerful scene have often been compared to a Baroque painting. This is also one of the very few sonnets without a humorous ending. 2. - Meaning "One group going to hell, one to heaven". |
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LOTTE A CASA Cor zu' bravo sbordone a manimanca, Du' pellegrini a or de vemmaria Cercaveno indov'era l'osteria, Perc'uno aveva male in d'una cianca. Ce s'incontra er zor Lotte, e je spalanca Er portone dicenno: "A casa mia" E loro je risposeno: "Per dia Dimani sarai fio de l'oca bianca". Quelli ereno du' angeli, fratello, Che ar vedelli passà li Ghimorrini Se sentinno addrizzà tutti l'ucello. E arrivonno a strillà, fiji de mulo: "Lotte, mannece giù li pellegrini, Che ce serveno a noi pe daje in culo". |
LOT AT HOME 1 With a staff in their left hand, Two pilgrims at midnight Were looking for the tavern Because one of them had an aching leg. They met Lot, who opened his door For them, saying: "Come to my home". They replied: "By God, Tomorrow you will be a privileged man". Those were two angels, brother, Who, passing by, made the people of Gomorrah 2 Grow sexually excited 3 . And those bastards even shouted: "Lot, send us the pilgrims, We need them for having sex" 4 . |
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1. - According to the Book of Genesis, two angels were sent to Sodom disguised as pilgrims, to destroy the city because of the wickedness of its inhabitants. They were given hospitality by Lot who, for this reason, was warned by the angels to leave the city on the following day, and save himself. The inhabitants of Sodom then gathered around the house, asking to be given the two strangers. 2. - Gomorrah was the other depraved city to be destroyed; therefore, who speaks makes no difference between the inhabitants of one city or the other. 3. - The literal translation is much stronger: "They felt their dick grow stiff". 4. - Again, the literal translation is stronger, exactly meaning. . . which form of sex they would be having with the two pilgrims! |
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ER COMPANATICO DER PARADISO Dio doppo avé creato in pochi giorni Quello che c'è de bello e c'é de brutto, In paradiso o in de li su' contorni Creò un rampino e ciattaccò un presciutto. E disse: "Quella femmina che in tutto Er tempo che campò nun messe corni, N'abbi una fetta, acciò non magni asciutto Er pandecèlo de li nostri forni". Morze Eva, morze Lia, morze Ribbecca, Fino inzomma a ttu' moje a man'a mano, Morzeno tutte, e ppijele a l'inzecca. E ttutte quante cor cortello in mano Quando furno a ttajà feceno cecca: Sò sseimil'anni, e quer presciutto è sano. |
HEAVEN'S FOOD 1 After having created in a few days What is good and what is not, God Created in heaven, or in its whereabouts, A hook, and hung a piece of ham to it. He said: "The woman who during her whole life Was not unfaithful to her husband Will receive a slice, to be eaten with The heavenly bread of our bakehouse". Eve died, Leah died, Rebecca died 2 , Gradually, up to your wife, All of them passed away, every single one. 3 And each of them, knife in hand, when their turn to slice it came, failed: After six thousand years that ham is still untouched. |
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1. - This is not a real biblical episode, but "biblical-wise". 2. - The wives of Adam, Jacob and Isaac, respectively. 3. - Literally, pick them at random, i.e. any woman you mention. |
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L'APOSTOLO DRITTO L'apostoli faceveno fracasso Che Cristo er'ito via da sepportura; Quann'ecchete de fianco san Tomasso: « Io nun ce credo un cazzo: è un'impostura ». Tratanto Gesucristo de bon passo Se n'agnede ar cenacolo addrittura, Indove un bucettin de serratura Je servì de portone de trapasso. « Ficca er tu' dito in questa costa vòta, Giacubbino futtuto, e qua ppòi vede S'io sò arivivo, oppuro è una carota ». Allora san Tomasso in piede in piede Prima annò ar tasto da perzona sciota, E doppo recitò l'atto de fede. |
THE SHREWD APOSTLE The apostles were bustling As Christ had left his grave; All of a sudden St.Thomas steps up: « I don't believe this at all: it's a hoax ». Meanwhile Jesus Christ, in haste, Had even reached the cenacle, Using a tiny key-hole As an entrance doorway. « Put your finger into this hollow ribcage, You wicked unbeliever, and this will tell you Whether I'm alive again, or this is a humbug ». So St.Thomas, right on the spot, at first touched him, as a simpleton, And then recited the act of faith. |
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ER DUELLO DE DAVIDE Cos'è er braccio de Dio! mannà un fischietto Contr'a quer buggiarone de Golìa, Che si n'avessi avuto fantasia Lo poteva ammazzà cor un fichetto! Eppuro, accusì è. Dio benedetto Vorze mostrà ppe tutta la Giudia, Che chi è divoto de Gesù e Maria Po' stà cor un gigante appett'appetto. Ar vede un pastorello co la fionna, Strillò Golìa, sartanno in piede: "Oh cazzo! Stavorta, fijo mio, l'hai fatta tonna". Ma er fatto annò ch'er povero regazzo, Grazzie all'anime sante e a la Madonna, Lo fece cascà giù come un pupazzo. |
DAVID'S DUEL How powerful is God's hand! to send a child Against that huge Goliath, Who could have killed him with a cuff, If only he had wished to! But this is how it went. The holy God Wanted to show throughout the land of Judaea, That he who worships Jesus and Mary Can compare in strength to a giant. In seeing a young shepherd with a sling, Goliath jumped to his feet, shouting: "Oh fuck! This time, my son, you've really done it". But it turned out that the poor boy, Thanks to the blessed souls 1 and to Our Lady, Knocked him down like a puppet. |
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1. - In Rome, "blessed souls" are the dead, who are believed to exert a cartain influence upon the living people and their activities. |
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ER ZAGRIFIZZIO D'ABBRAMO Dice che ttra la prima e ssiconn'arca Abbramo vorze fà da bon patriarca N'ojocaustico a Dio sur Montemoria. Pijò dunque un zomaro de la Marca, Che ssenza comprimenti e ssenza boria, Stava a pasce er trifojo e la cicoria Davanti a casa sua come un monarca. Poi chiamò Isacco e disse: "Fa' un fascetto, Pija er marraccio, carca er zomarello, Chiama er garzone, infilete er corpetto, Saluta mamma, cercheme er cappello; E annamo via, perché Dio benedetto Vò un zagrifizzio che nun pòi sapello". |
ABRAHAM'S SACRIFICE 1 Says that between the first and the second ark 2 Abraham, as a good patriarch, wanted To pay a sacrifice to God on Mount Moria 3 . He therefore took a donkey, Who, peaceful and easy, Was enjoying his clover and chicory Like a king, in front of his house. Then he called Isaac and said: "Make a bundle, Take the knife, load the donkey, Call the servant, wear your jacket, Say goodbye to mum, fetch me my hat; And let's go, because the holy God Demands a sacrifice that you cannot be aware of". |
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1. - According to the Bible, Abraham was ordered to sacrifice his only son Isaac, to prove his faith. But when the boy was on the point of being killed, an angel sent by God stopped him, and a ram was sacrificed in place of Isaac. 2. - The first one is Noah's ark; the second is the Ark of the Covenant, which Moses had made. 3. - A hill near Jerusalem. |
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ER ZAGRIFIZZIO D'ABBRAMO II Partirno tutt'e quattro a giorno chiaro, E camminorno sempre in orazzione Pe quarche mijo ppiù der centinaro. "Semo arrivati: alò", disse er vecchione, "Incollete er fascetto, fijo caro", Poi, vortannose in là, fece ar garzone: "Aspettateme qui voi cor zomaro". Saliva Isacco, e diceva: "Papà, Ma diteme, la vittima indov'è"? E lui j'arisponneva: "Un po' ppiù in là". Ma quanno finarmente furno sù, Strillò Abbramo ar fijolo: "Isacco, a tte, Faccia a tterra: la vittima sei tu". |
ABRAHAM'S SACRIFICE II All four of them left at dawn, And walked in prayer A bit farther than one hundred miles. "Here we are: come on", said the old man, "Take the bundle, dear son", Then, turning towards the servant, he told him: "You wait here with the donkey". While climbing, Isaac asked: "Daddy, Tell me, where's the victim?" And he answered: "A bit further on". But when they finally reached the top, Abraham cried to his son: "Isaac, it's your turn, Lie face down: you are the victim". |
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ER ZAGRIFIZZIO D'ABBRAMO Se butta s'una pietra inginocchione, E quer boja de padre arza er marraccio Tra cap'e collo ar povero cojone. "Fermete, Abbramo: nun calà quer braccio", Strilla un Angiolo allora da un cantone: "Dio te vorze provà co sto setaccio..." Bee, bee... Chi è quest'antro! è un pecorone. Inzomma, amici cari, io già sso' stracco D'ariccontavve er fatto a la distesa. La pecora morì: fu sarvo Isacco: E quella pietra che m'avete intesa Mentovà ssur più bello de l'acciacco, Sta a Roma, in Borgo-novo, in d'una chiesa. |
ABRAHAM'S SACRIFICE Dropping to his knees over a stone, And the wicked father 1 raised the knife Over the neck of the poor fool. "Stop, Abraham: don't let your arm down", Cried an Angel from a corner: "God wanted to put you to the test..." Baa, baa... Who's there! a ram. In conclusion, dear friends, I'm now tired of telling you the story in full. The ram died: Isaac was spared: And that stone you heard me mention At the crucial point of this cruel fact, Is in Rome, in Borgo Nuovo, in a church 2 . |
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1. - A play on words: boja literally means "executioner", but in roman dialect it is commonly used with a meaning of "bad, evil, wicked". 2. - The church was San Giacomo Scossacavalli, near the Vatican; it no longer exists as it stood in the middle of Borgo Nuovo district, largely demolished during the early 1930s (see The Popes' Walls for further reference) |
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INTRODUCTION SOCIETY AND EVERYDAY'S LIFE PRIESTS, FRIARS, POPES, AND THE CHURCH OF ROME |
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