S.P.Q.R.* | S.P.Q.R. |
Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli | trans. Michael Pickering (from the Roman dialect) |
Quell'esse, pe, ccu, erre, inarberate Sur portone de guasi oggni palazzo, Quelle sò cquattro lettere der cazzo, Che nun vonno di ggnente, compitate. M'aricordo però cche dda regazzo, Cquanno leggevo a fforza de frustate, Me le trovavo semipre appiccicate Drent' ni dell'abbeccé ttutte in un mazzo. Un giorno arfine me te venne l'estro De dimannanne un po' la spiegazzione A ddon Furgenzio ch'era er mi' maestro. Ecco che mm'arispose don Furgenzio: "Ste lettre vonno di, sor zomarone, Soli preti qui rreggneno: e ssilenzio." |
Those letters - SPQR - like a crowned head Over the top of almost every doorway Were written by some prick: there isn't no way They'd get to be like anything when sounded. And yet I do recall that as a kid, - I learned to read because they whipped me well - Bunched up like XYZ - or MNL - I couldn’t guess what those four letters did. One day, in the end, it got to me to come And get the explanation out of Him: Our reverend teacher’s clever (and then some). And Don Furgenzio, never a ha or hum, Goes "Donkey, that's what we call an acronym: Don't Set Priests Questions Right?" Which struck me dumb. |
Trans. Copyright © Michael Pickering 2002