S' I' FOSSE FOCO ... | WERE I BUT FIRE ... |
Cecco Angiolieri | tr. Peter Dean |
S' i' fosse foco, arderei ‘l mondo; S' i' fosse vento, lo tempesterei; S' i' fosse acqua, i' l'annegherei; S' i' fosse Dio, manderei l' in profondo; S' i' fosse papa, sare' allor giocondo, Che tutt' i cristiani imbrighierei: S' i' fosse ‘mperator, sa' che farei? A tutti mozzarei lo capo a tondo. S' i' fosse morte, andarei da mio padre; S' i' fosse vita, fuggirei da lui: Similmente faria da mi' madre. S' i' fosse Cecco, com' i' sono e fui, Torre le donne giovan' e leggiadre E vecchi' e laide lasserei altrui. |
Were I but fire, I'd set the world ablaze; Were I but wind, with storms then would I lash it; Water were I, to drowning deep I'd dash it; God? I would plunge it in the abyss' maze; If I were Pope, then happy'd be my days For having duped and made all Christians catch it: And Emperor? Guess what? With cut and slash it I'd have all heads chopped off and roll their ways. And were I death, off to my dad I'd go; Life? And from him I'd rush away like mad: With my old mum, I'd do the same - ditto! Last, Cecco - as I am and as a lad - Only the young and lovely girls I'd know, Leaving the rest the ugly, old and sad. |
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Trans. Copyright © Peter Dean 2003