Inspired by Cav. Charles Sant'Elia's Meridiunalata/Southernade,* an evocative bilingual (Neapolitan/English) collection of poetry written between 1989 and 2010, we offer the reader an accessible introduction to vernacular (Neapolitan, Sicilian, et al.) verse with the aim of awakening enthusiasm for contemporary and historical poesia Duosiciliano.
In this installment we're featuring the Neapolitan poetry of Pino Rispo D.R.
Storia e civiltàDi Pino Rispo
Penzanno te veco..
E sempe cchiu forte te sento..
Sì museca rint’’o core...
Ca se rregn’’e passione..
Fra poco stamme ‘nzieme..
E ddimane chesti rime...
Sarrane penziere d’ajere
Trovo sempe ‘o mutivo pe’ te penzà...
Pecchè ogge sacce chi songo...
E pecchè me trovo ccà...
Je apparteng’â ‘nu populo
Semplice cu tanto ‘e dignità
Fatto prigiuniero e no libberato
Ca ogge ancora d’’a l’italia
Abbandunato e discriminato
Ma ogge assaje se só scetate..
E cu ‘e ffiglie ll’ore ‘e chesta
Storia nosta n’hanno parlato
Dimane apparten’â ll’ore
L’italia ca venette arrubbà...
‘E chisto nnemico c’avimma libberà
Pecchè nuje tenimme
‘Nu mare ‘e storia e civiltà!!
History and Civilization
By Pino Rispo
Reflecting I see you..
And ever more strongly I feel you..
You're music in my heart...
That fills with passion..
In a little bit we'll be together..
And tomorrow these rhymes...
Shall be thoughts of yesterday
I always find a reason to think of you...
Because today I know who I am...
And why I find myself here...
I belong to a people
Simple with so much dignity
Taken prisoner and not freed
Still today left by Italy
Abandoned and discriminated against
But today so many have woken up..
And with their children they have spoken
Of this history of ours
Tomorrow belongs to them
The Italy that came to steal...
We have to free ourselves of this enemy
Because we have
A sea of history and civilization!!
Translated by Cav. Charles Sant’Elia
* Self-published in 2010, Meridiunalata/Southernade is a treasury of poems gleaned from Cav. Sant'Elia's previous collections (Nchiuso dint''o presente, 'A cuntrora, and 'O pino e l'éllera), which were circulated among friends in New York City and Naples. Special thanks to Cav. Sant'Elia for allowing us to reprint his poetry and translations.
