![IL CIRCOLO CALABRESE - Vuce e Mamma Calabria [The Voice of Mother Calabria],Culture, poetry, calabrese, english](/images/content/masthead.png "IL CIRCOLO CALABRESE - An ode to our region of Calabria.")
Vuce e Mamma Calabria [The Voice of Mother Calabria]
by Dr. Tom Lucente
An ode to our region of Calabria
Calabrese |
English |
|
Sentiti,sentiti
figli mii luntani! cum a tartaruga t'iau rrhingatu no pe male mamma cuntatemi ma peh mala sorta srhingiutu. Primu e jummarelle sustennianu prate e juri, jenosshre e l'erbicelle fichu,nispoli e uva chi pennianu' jugliare chine e aqua pure ere galicelle. Ma chi successu figlicielli mii? Pechi sta ma malanata ne benuta? Aiu domandatu a Vergine Maria e mi risposa cu na riduta!" Calabria! Sta dummanda e becchia! Chiu becchia de ttie! Cu ma jalone i figli cercammu iu e ttie! Jalona, 'ntrievula ca tu ricu camminanu ca signa mamma puru iu! E figliuma aui pierzu e trentatre anni e lu ciangiu cum a ttie! Aiu dommandatu a formichella a vissu vist a figliuma bellu? Ma rispusu in prescia-prescia Lassa! Che mi stipu grannu! e pue parrhamu! Formichella faticada, simina allu vientu! Stipa! stipa! ca vena l'aqua a diventa nentu! Aiu domandu a cicala cun a vuce duce chi cantava supra na cerza Ai vistu a figliuma che portava na cruce? Lassame! ca eiu finire sta versa! Cicala, canta canta subra sta cerza statti! Canta, canta, che a mezzagosto scatti! An turnu a capu era Dulorosa n'ape vulava peh fare na cosa. "Na guccia re mele a sta povera pietosa! A perzu lu figliu..bellu cumu na rosa! O apicella peh stu rucce che consulasti'La Vergine disse, Senza a ciera tua un sine diccianu Misse! E tu jalone, chi mia a fattu svagare chi po campare centanni camminanu chianu chianu! |
Listen my children
so far from me! Like a tortoise I scattered you Do not count me a bad mother but one constrained by circumstance. Once the brooks sustained the fields and flowers. Ginesters and little grasses figs, loquats and pendulous grapes. Jugs filled with pure water from the streams. But what went wrong my children? Why has this evil time come unto to us? I asked the Virgin Mary and she responded with a sullen smile. Calabria! (she said) This is an old question! Older than you! And like the turtle, for our children we search both you and I! Listen turtle, as we walk along I will tell you For I too am a Mother! I too have lost a son of 33 and cry for Him as you do! I asked the ant for help have you seen my Son? She answered me hurriedly, "Leave me! I have grain to store! Then we'll talk!" O little ant so overworked! your crop will come to naught! Store! store! and when the rain comes..it will sprout and your work is useless! I asked the Cicada with a sweet voice who sang from an oak tree. "Have you seen my son carrying a cross?" "Leave me! I have another verse to sing!" O Cicada, sing, sing on the oak tree! Sing, sing, when my feast comes, you'll burst! Then around the head of the Sorrowful Mother a little bee hovered. Placing a drop of honey on Her lips. "A little sweetness for you who have lost your Son!" O little Bee, for this sweetness you have brought, No Masses will ever be sung without your candles there! And you little turtle, who made me forget my pain, May you live a hundred years, walking very slowly! |