“The creative process is innate in humans, and is, therefore–with all it entails as far as the joy of writing and playing with our fantasy is concerned–within everyone’s reach. […] not because everyone should be an artist, but because no one should be a slave.”
Gianni Rodari
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Il dittatore Gianni Rodari Un punto piccoletto, Le parole protestarono: Tutto solo a mezza pagina una riga più in basso. |
The dictator Gianni Rodari A tiny dot, The words protested: All alone, midway down the page on the very next line. Translation ©Matilda Colarossi 2019 |
Nothing could be more appropriate today than this poem by Gianni Rodari (who died on this day 39 years ago). We are witnessing the return of dictators, big and small, of little men– tiny “dots”, “arrogant and irascible”– sowing hatred in their “half a page”…until, of course, the next line.
I tried long and hard to find a solution for Punto-e-basta and Punto-e-a-capo. I ended up using their literal translations: something is, unfortunately, always lost in translation.
For books by Rodari visit Edizioni El : https://www.edizioniel.com/catalogo-anticipazioni/100-gianni-rodari-novita-gennaio-2020/
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parallel texts: words reflected 