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| Ferdinando Russo (November 25, 1866 – January 30, 1927) |
Pe Ferdinando Russo
‘On Ferdinando, nu refrisco a ll’ánema vosta,
Cchiù ‘e na vota site jute ’o’ tribbunale
Pe difénnere ll’annore ‘e stu popolo,
Cu ‘e vierze vuoste avite dato voce
‘E’ viecchie surdate, piscevínnule,
Nonne e guagliune ‘e tiempe passate.
Avite osato pure prununzià ‘o nomme d’’o Burbone.
Avite pruvucato ‘o siquesto
D’’a tipografía d’’o Mattino,
Ma ‘a finale pure ‘e nemmice vuoste
Ve chiammávano «caro cumpagno».
Tenéssemo nuje ogge ‘o curaggio
Ch’avite avuto pe purtà rispetto
‘E’ mmuorte nuoste, sti vave atterrate
E maje scurdate?
Nce mettéssemo stu nomme ‘e Rrè
-Ferdinando-
‘E’ figlie nuoste?
Would We Have
For Ferdinando Russo
Don Ferdinando, bless your soul,
More than once you had to appear in court
To defend the honor of this people,
With your verses you gave voice
To old soldiers, fishmongers,
Grandmothers and children of past times.
You dared to utter the name of the Bourbons.
You provoked the confiscation
Of the Mattino newspaper’s presses,
But in the end even your enemies
Called you «dear friend».
Would we have the courage today
Which you had, to show respect
To our dead, these buried
But never forgotten ancestors?
Would we give this King’s name
-Ferdinando-
To our sons?
