To my mother, by Gianni Farruggio

A me matri

Tu mi criscisti, mi mannasti a scola…

appoi mi mittisti l‘ali e mi dicisti…vola

E iu vulai ‘ntra paisi strani,

senza pinzari ca ti lassai ‘nte peni

Partii,… ti lassai sula,

comu na varca senza vila,

a testa frasturnata…l‘occhi chini,

e senza sangu tutti li to vini

Ti lassai sula… partii luntanu

ma vidu ancòra ca mi stenni a manu

mi salutavi ma dicevi torna…

t‘aspettu cca, cuntu li me jorna

Ora c‘haiu furriatu menzu munnu,

e l‘haiu vistu quasi ‘nsinu ‘nfunnu,

ora m‘arriposu e pensu a tia,

ccu tantu amuri e tanta nostalgia

e pensu quantu beni mi vulevi,

a quanti cosi belli mi dicevi;

attentu non sudari…s‘annunca t‘arrifriddi,

e duci duci mi mittevi i manu ‘nte capiddi!

m‘accarizzavi mi strincevi forti…

siparari ni po‘ sulu la morti!

La morti ‘npitiusa t‘arrubbau,

e luntanu…luntanu di mia ti purtau!

Si fici tardu, passànu li me anni,

tra gioi, duluri e peni ranni!

Stancu é u me cori, stanca é la testa,

ma prestu n‘ancuntramu e sarà festa!

Gianni Farruggio

To my mother

You raised me, sent me to school.

Then you gave me wings and told me to fly.

And I flew to strange lands,

I did not think about your sorrow

I left…left you alone

As a drifting boat

With a confused mind…tears in your eyes,

Drained away from your veins the blood

I left you alone…and far away I went.

I still see your stretched hand,

You said “Good-bye but you meant: Come back…

I will wait here for you  all my days”.

Now after being allover

And I have seen it all around,

I take a rest and think of you

With much love and full of nostalgia

And about your great love I think

And all the sweet words you breathed to me;

“Careful, go easy… you can catch a cold”,

And sweetly you caressed my hair!

You caressed me and tightly hugged me…

Only death can divide us!

The impious death stole you from me

Away took you…far, far away!

It is late passing are my years

Amongst joy, sorrow and great pains!

My heart is weary, the head throbs ,

But soon we’ll meet and it will be a great feast.

Translation by Nino Russo