What is about dictators that make them so touchy, so paranoid? It’s as if, for them, their own shadows are out to get them; so they ban, censor, limit, arrest, deport, destroy…because it’s very hard to be on the wrong side of history: people may notice. This is the first thing I thought of when I opened Trilussa’s Tutte le poesie at just any old page…
| Mania de persecuzzione Trilussa La notte, quanno guardo l’Ombra mia che s’allunga, se scorta e me viè appresso, me pare, più che l’ombra de me steso, quella de quarcheduno che me spia. Se me fermo a parlà con un amico l’Ombra s’agguatta ar muro, sospettosa, come volesse indovinà una cosa che in quer momento penso, ma nun dico. Voi me direte: “È poco ma sicuro che nun te fidi più manco de lei…”. No, fino a questo nun ciarriverei… Però, s’ho da pensà, penso a l’oscuro. | Perrsecution complex Trilussa At night, when I see that Shadow o’ mine as she stretches, shortens n follows me, it’s like, more than just that shadow o’ mine, but somebody that’s spyin’ on me. If I stop n talk to a friend the Shadow crouches against a wall, suspicious like, like she wanna guess what I been thinkin’ but ain’t sayin’. You may say: “So o’ course you don’t trust nobody no more not even her…” No, I wouldn’ go so far as that… Yet, if I have to think, I think in the dark. Translation ©Matilda Colarossi 2025 |
Trilussa always picks up my spirits! I hope he’s done the same for you. Heaven knows we need it!
PS: always stand on the correct (see what I did there?) side of history…(sometimes right is not right).
PSS: the poem is written, as all poems by Trilussa are, in the dialect of Rome. I don’t think I’ve ever spoken an English dialect: Canada is a fairly new country and except maybe for how we say “about” (according to some: I, personally, don’t hear it), I had no dialectal pearls to add to the translation. As always, I’ve tried my best. – M.C.
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
parallel texts: words reflected 