Dina Ferri: Abbandonato/ Abandoned

War is never about who is right or who is wrong, who started it or who finished it: it is always about the children.

As always, Dina Ferri uses her voice to speak for those who have no voice.

Dina Ferri

Siena, 29 marzo 1927.

Povero bimbo! Tu eri felice, perché ignoravi il male. Ti cullava vigile la mamma pensierosa addormentandoti, ti sorrideva l’innocenza e sognavi sogni d’oro e di pace. Poi rimanesti solo, abbandonato nella soffitta umida. Era inverno, il vento brontolava roco e nevicava. Avevi freddo, avevi fame e piangevi. Il tuo vagito leggero era come un invito soave al bene e alla virtù, ma gli uomini non lo sentivano, perché era soppresso dal rumore delle armi che alzavano minacciosi verso i loro fratelli. Allora venne un Angelo biondo nel silenzio bianco della neve che fioccava lenta. Si appressò alla tua cuna e ti cullò come prima soleva cullarti la mamma buona. Incrociasti le mani sul petto e ti addormentasti nel sonno dell’eternità. Ancora sorridi pallido e stringi nella manina chiusa il dono che ti ha portato l’Angelo. È il perdono per gli uomini che ti hanno dimenticato.

ABBANDONATO

Il bimbo vagiva pian piano;
taceva l’ansiosa mammina,
vegliava nel cielo lontano,
profonda, una mite stellina.
Sorrise con gli Angeli d’oro
ùche al bimbo cantarono nanna;
dormì quel grazioso tesoro,
in pace dormì la capanna.

Dina Ferri

Siena, 29 March 1927.

Poor child! You were happy because you knew nothing of evil. Your pensive mother rocked you watchfully until you slept, innocence smiled upon you, and you dreamt dreams of gold and peace. Then, you were alone, abandoned in that damp attic. It was winter, the wind rumbled gruffly, and it snowed. You were cold, you were hungry, and you wept. Your soft cry was like a gentle invitation to good, to virtue, but man could not hear it because it was suppressed by the sound of guns raised menacingly against his brother. So a blond Angel came in the white silence of the snow that slowly fell. He neared your cradle and rocked you as your dear mother rocked you. You crossed your hands on your chest and fell in eternal sleep. You smile wanly still and hold in your little fist the gift the Angel brought you. It is the forgiveness for man who has forgotten you.

ABANDONED

The child very softly cried;
silent was the anxious mother,
vigil in the distant sky,
profound, was a gentle star.
It smiled with the golden Angels
who to the child a lullaby sang;
that gracious darling slumbered,
in peace slumbered the cabin.

Translation ©Matilda Colarossi 2023

The poem is from the collection ‘Quaderno del nulla’ [A notebook of nothings] published posthumously (1931) by Treves (Milano). A more recent copy was published by Le lettere and can be found here.

Photograph (mine): Ancient cemetery, in disuse, in a rural area (Carpineto della Nora) much like the one Dina Ferri grew up in.

This work is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International