A R B A S I C U L A

RIVISTA DI FOLKLORI E LITTIRATURA SICILIANI
A
R B A
S
I C U L A
JOURNAL OF SICILIAN FOLKLORE & LITERATURE
Diritturi-Editor
GAETANO CIPOLLA
CUNSIGGHIERI Ô DIRITTURI
EDITORIAL BOARD
Antina Lentini Babakhanian
Antony F. Lazzara
Salvatore Bancheri
Antonio Pagano
Alissandru Caldieru (CO-FOUNDER)
Salvatore Paternò
Cosimo Corsano
Paolo Possiedi
Nicolò d’Alessandro
Antonino Provenzano
Alfredo Danese
Giuseppe Provenzano
Salvatore Di Marco
Giuseppe Quatriglio
Paolo Fiorentino
Florence Russo
Mario Gallo
Federico Vaccaro
Giovanna Jackson
Justin Vitiello
Jana Vizmuller-Zocco
VOLUMI XXIX, NUMIRA 1 & 2, PRIMAVERA E STATI 2008
VOLUME XXIX, NUMBERS 1 & 2, SPRING & SUMMER 2008
© Copyright 2008 by ARBA SICULA, ISSN 0271-0730
Design and Camera-Ready Text by LEGAS
ARBA SICULA è l’organu ufficiali dâ società siculu-americana dû stissu nomi ca si
proponi comu obbiettivu principali di prisirvari, studiari, e promoviri a lingua e a
cultura siciliani.
ARBA SICULA è normalmenti pubblicata dui voti l’annu, ntâ primavera e nta
l’autunnu. Pi comunicari direttamenti cû diritturi, pi mannari materiali pâ rivista, pi
l’abbunamenti e pi informazioni supra a nostra società, scriviti a Gaetano Cipolla,
Languages and Literatures Department, St. John’s University, 8000 Utopia Pkwy,
Queens, NY 11439. I materiali ricevuti non si restituisciunu si nun si manna puru na
busta affrancata cû nomu e indirizzu.
ABBUNAMENTI
Cu si abbona a la rivista, diventa automaticamenti sociu di Arba Sicula. Cu
n’abbunamentu annuali i soci ricivunu du nummira di Arba Sicula (unu, si pubblicamu
un numiru doppiu) e dui di Sicilia Parra. Arba Sicula è na organizzazioni senza scopu
di lucru.
Abbunamenti fora dî Stati Uniti
Abbunamentu regolari
Anziani e studenti
$40.00
$35.00
$30.00
ARBA SICULA is the official journal of the Sicilian-American organization by the
same name whose principal objective is to preserve, study, and promote the language
and culture of Sicily.
ARBA SICULA is normally published twice a year, in the Spring and in the Fall. To
communicate with the Editor, to submit materials for publication, to subscribe and
to obtain information on our organization, write to Gaetano Cipolla, Languages and
Literatures Department, St. John’s University, 8000 Utopia Pkwy, Queens, NY 11439.
The materials received will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed
stamped envelope.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Those who subscribe to the journal, automatically become members of Arba Sicula.
Annual dues entitle the members to two issues of Arba Sicula (or one if a double
issue) and two of Sicilia Parra. Arba Sicula is a Non-Profit Organization.
Subscription outside USA
Regular Subscription
Seniors and Students
$40.00
$35.00
$30.00
ARBA SICULA
A Non-Profit International Organization Promoting the Language and Culture of Sicily
Languages and Literatures Department
St. John’s University
8000 Utopia Parkway
Queens, New York 11439
Telephone (718) 990-5203
Fax (718) 990-5954
E-mail [email protected]
CUMITATO ESECUTIVU
EXECUTIVE BOARD
GAETANO CIPOLLA, Ph.D.
President and Editor
ANTONINO PROVENZANO
Vice President
FLORENCE RUSSO, Ph.D.
Treasurer
ROSARIA PIPIA, Ph. D.
Secretary
CHARLES CAPPELLINO, MD
Community Affairs (P.P.)
GIUSEPPE PROVENZANO
Historian
CUNSIGGHIERI
ADVISORY BOARD
Salvatore Bancheri, Ph.D.
Rev. Anthony Failla.
Joseph Bellestri, M.A.
Gaetano Giacchi
(CO-FOUNDER)
Alissandru Caldieru (CO-FOUNDER)
Robert Marchisotto, Ph.D.
Ursula Cottone, Dott.
John Randazzo
Printed and bound in Canada
ARBA SICULA
VOLUMI XXIX, NUMIRA 1 & 2, PRIMAVERA E STATI 2008
VOLUME XXIX, NUMBERS 1 & 2, SPRING & SUMMER 2008
Indici / Table of Contents
DICHIARAZIONI DI LU SCOPU / DECLARATION OF PURPOSE ................. 8
Puisia siciliana/Sicilian Poetry
LU SCHINFIGNUSU /The Haughty Man, by Maria Rosaria Mutolo ..................... 15
Il PARLAMENTU/The Parliament, By Mario Scaglia ................................................. 17
‘NTA UN UFFICIU COMUNALI /Inside the Municipal Office
By Vincenzo Ancona ........................................................................................ 19
COMU SI PO’ SMINNARI UN PATRIMONIU /How You Can Lose your
fortune, By Pino Maltese ................................................................................. 21
ME NONNA, NARDINEDDA /My Grandmother Leonarda by Nino De Vita .. 23
LA VISITA /THEVISIT, By Marisa Frasca .................................................................. 25
A’atì (a carusa runnata dî pirati)/Agatha (a girl kidnapped by the pirates)
by Alfio Inserra ................................................................................................. 33
Narrativa Siciliana / Sicilian Fiction
L’eroi /The Hero, by Berto Giambalvo ......................................................................... 36
Lu canarieddu accuntintatu /The Satisfied Canary, by Carmelo Lauretta ................... 40
Saggistica / Essays
Giustaposizioni dâ vecchia e nova Sicilia ntâ littiratura poliziesca di Camilleri, /
Juxtapositions of Old and New Sicily in Camilleri’s Detective Literature,
by Piera Carroli .................................................................................................. 44
U Tic tac du tempu/ Ticking History ............................................................................. 56
Na Clarissa Missinisa /A Poor Clare from Messina ..................................................... 66
Sicilianità e canto di pueti/ Sicilianity and Poets’ song, by Raffaele Urzì .................... 72
A Granni Flotta Bianca/The Great White Fleet, by S. Lagumina ............................... 80
Sezioni Spiciali/ Special Section
Mario Gori: na vuci mpurtanti da puisia siciliana/Mario Gori: an Important Voice
of Sicilian Poetry, by Gaetano Cipolla ............................................................ 84
Prigheri siciliani/ Sicilian Prayers, edited and translated by Joe Ruggeri ..................... 123
Arti Siciliana /Sicilian Art
U pitturi di carretti/ The Painter of Carts ...................................................................... 124
A Nostra Lingua/Our Language
Prverbi/ Prooverbs Compiled by Monsignor Richard S. Amico ................................ 130
Cucina Siciliana/ Sicilian Cuisine
Eat Smart in Sicily by Joan Peterson and Marcella Croce ............................................... 134
Sicily Culinary Crossroads by Giuseppe Coria .................................................................. 138
Books Received ................................................................................................................. 144
Recommended Books ...................................................................................................... 148
Arba Sicula XXIX
6
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Arba Sicula XXIX
DICHIARAZIONI DI LU SCOPU DA NOSTRA ASSOCIAZIONI
“ARBA SICULA é, prima di tuttu, la riflissioni in ritardu, di na nicissitá
sintuta di na cumunitá etnica stabiluta nni li Stati Uniti d’America pi difiniri,
prisirvari e difúnniri la nostra antica ereditá p’assicurari la so vera supravvivenza.
Mentri ca l’orientazioni nostra é littiraria, lu nostru métudu é storicamenti
evucativu cu l’intinzioni di nun passari supra nuddu aspettu di la cultura Siciliana
comu indignu di la nostra esaminazioni e análasi. Lu scopu di stu sforzu é,
allura, di riscupriri zoccu é ligittimamenti nostru ntra tuttu lu sintasi d’un populu
isulanu pussidennu rádichi nni l’espirienzi storichi Siciliani, Italiani e Americani
e macari ligami chiú antichi cu tutti li nazioni di lu Meditirraniu.
Circamu la canuscenza d’un senzu di cuntinuazioni ntra nui stissi, e
picchissu amu pigghiatu un simbulu anticu di li Siculi (la stirpi principali in
Sicilia prima di lu stabilimentu di li Grechi) pi suttaliniari la seriitá di lu nostru
scopu e pi marcari nni li menti di la juvintú nostra un signu di l’antichitá di la so
ereditá. Nui semu, prima di tuttu, intirissati ca la chiavi di l’arma Siciliana (la
lingua di li nostri avi) fussi cunsirvata e studiata cu preggiu e attinzioni.
Pi la fini di rializari st’intinzioni, ARBA SICULA invita a tutti ca ponnu
vantari armenu un avu Sicilianu, a unirisi cu nui in un sforzu culittivu pi aumintari
la canuscenza di la nostra stissa ereditá.
Stu disignu é pigghiatu di na midagghia d’urnamentu ca nchiudi na specia
di cruci dicurativa. Un esemplari si trova nni lu Museu di Siracusa Fu truvata a
San Cataldu e fa parti di l’Adrano Hoard, la chiú granni cugghiuta d’uggetti di
brunzu ca á statu truvata in Sicilia. Lu disignu é di circa 1300 anni avanti Cristu.
di la civilitá Sicula.”
Ristampammu ntâ pagina precedenti a dichiarazioni dû scopu accussì
comu fu scritta ntô primu numiru di Arba Sicula ntô 1979. A copiammu
esattamenti comu fu scritta senza fari currezioni. Comu si vidi, a lingua canciau
Arba Sicula XXIX
8
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE FOR OUR ORGANIZATION
“ARBA SICULA is, above all else, the overdue reflection of a felt need
by an established ethnic community of the United States of America to define,
preserve and disseminate our ancient heritage in order to assure its undistorted
survival. While our orientation is literary, our approach is historically evocative
and intended to overlook no aspect of Sicilian culture as unworthy of our
examination and analysis. The purpose of this effort is, therefore, to rediscover what is legitimately ours within the composite synthesis of a displaced
island people possessing immediate roots in the Sicilian, Italian and American
historical experiences, as well as far more ancient linkages to every nation of
the Mediterranean.
We seek recognition of a sense of continuity within ourselves and for
that reason have chosen an ancient symbol of the Sikel people (the predominant strain in Sicily prior to its settlement by the Greeks) both to underscore
the seriousness of our intent and to stamp upon the minds of our youth a sign
of the antiquity of their heritage. We are, above all, concerned that the key to
the Sicilian soul (the language of our forefathers) be preserved and studied
with attentive appreciation.
To the end of fulfilling these declared intentions, ARBA SICULA extends to all and any able to claim at least one Sicilian grandparent, an invitation
to join us in a collective effort to increase our consciousness of our common
heritage.
This design is taken from an ornamental pendant enclosing a sort of
cross decoration from the Sikel civilization. A sample is in the Museum of
Syracuse. It was found at San Cataldo and is part of the Adrano Hoard, the
largest collection of bronze objects ever found in Sicily. The design dates from
about 1300 before Christ.”
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Arba Sicula XXIX
nanticchia; semu forsi chiù attenti a comu scrivemu in sicilianu, ma mi pari ca
in linia di massina amâ statu fidili a l’ideali espressi nta sta dichiarazioni. Si
canciau l’edituri, non canciau u disidderiu di travagghiari pi ddi stissi motivi ca
ficiru nasciri a nostra società.
Forsi avissi a fari na brevi storia da nostra associazioni pî soci ca sunu
novi e oramai sunu sparsu in tuttu u munnu. Arba Sicula fu funnata ntô 1979
di un gruppittu di siculo-amiricani di Brooklyn tra cui Gaetanu Giacchi, Joseph Palisi, Alissandru Caldieru, Sebastianu Passioni, Mons. Santi Privitera e
Mons. Anthony Failla e autri ca si riunevanu ntâ parrocchia di St. Finbar’s a
Brooklyn. Chisti si putissiru cunsiddirari i soci funnaturi dâ società, anchi si
giustamenti u titulu di funnaturi spetta a Gaetanu Giacchi ca fu ô principiu
chiddu ca chiù di tutti travagghiò pi purtari avanti l’organizzazioni.
I presidenti dâ nostra associazioni hannu statu chisti: Joseph Palisi, 19791980; Gaetanu Giacchi, 1980-1987; Mons. Santi Privitera, 1987; Charles
Cappellino, 1987-8; e Gaetano Cipolla, dû 1988-finu a ora. L’edituri di Arba
Sicula hannu statu sulu dui: Alissandru Caldieru dû 1979 fina ô 1986 e Gaetano
Cipolla dû 1987 finu a oggi. L’autra nostra pubblicazioni, Sicilia Parra, ca durau
pi na para d’anni, fu edita di John Randazzo, dâ sedi di Los Angeles. A secunna
serii di Sicilia Parra cuminciau ntô 1989 e cuntinua finu a ora cu Gaetano Cipolla
comu diritturi e Henry Barbera comu Co-diritturi, fina ô 2000. Comu sapiti,
Henry muriu u 24 di settembri dû 2000. Ntô 2003 i rispunsabbilità di Gaetano
Cipolla foru alliviati un pocu di Giuseppe Provenzano ca fu numinatu Edituri
Associatu di Sicilia Parra.
Ntâ prima fasi, Arba Sicula ebbi assai successu organizzannu reciti di
puisii e programmi nta li chesi e nta li scoli. Però u numiru di soci non superau
mai 700-800 pirsuni. Ci fu un piriudu di decadenza a causa di malatii e di autri
cosi ca misi in piriculu l’organizzazioni ntô 1985-7.
Arba Sicula fu salvata grazzii a Mons. Santi Privitera e a Charles Cappellinu
ca l’aiutarunu finanziariamenti e grazzii a Gaetano Cipolla ca prima si pigghiaiu
a direzioni dâ rivista facennula maturari non sulu dû puntu di vista dâ grafica
usannu u computer (i primi numiri si stampavanu cu na machina di scriviri
manuali) ma anchi pû cuntinutu e pâ lingua, e poi pigghiau a direzioni di
l’organizzazioni. Arba Sicula ha crisciutu assai nta l’urtimi diciassetti anni, non
sulu pû numiru di l’abbunati, ma puru pi l’ottima riputazioni ca godi ntô munnu.
A società havi soci ca si trovanu principalmenti nta zona metropolitana
di New York, ntâ California e poi ntâ tutti i Stati Uniti, macari nta l’Alaska e
l’isuli Hawai. Tra i rivisti italiani, Arba Sicula è a rivista chiù populari d’America.
A niautri nni pari picca cosa aviri chiù di 2500 abbunati, picchì pinsamu ca i
Siciliani d’America sunu assai numirusi e n’avissimu aviri 10,000 almenu! Ma
Arba Sicula XXIX
10
We reprinted on these pages the statement of purpose published in the
first issue of Arba Sicula twenty one years ago. We reproduced it exactly as it
appeared without any corrections. As you can see, our language has changed a
bit. We are perhaps a bit more conscious of how we write in Sicilian, but I
think that we have remained faithful to the ideals that prompted our predecessors to found this publication. If the editor has changed, the desire to work
toward the achievement of the same goals that spurred our foundation has
not.
Perhaps I ought to give a brief history of our association for the members who are new to it. Arba Sicula was founded in 1979 by a small group of
Sicilian-Americans living in Brooklyn composed by Gaetano Giacchi, Joseph
Palisi, Alissandru Caldiero, Sebastianu Passione, Mons. Santi Privitera, Mons.
Anthony Failla and others who met monthly in the basement of the church of
St. Finbar’s. These people can be considered founding members of the organization, even though the title of founder belongs rightly to Gaetano Giacchi
who at the beginning was the one who did the most to promote the organization.
The presidents of our society have been the following: Joseph Palisi,
1979-80; Gaetano Giacchi, 1980-86; Santi Privitera 1987; Charles Cappellino
1987-88; and Gaetano Cipolla 1988-present. The editors of Arba Sicula have
been only two: Alissandru Caldieru from 1979 to 1986 and Gaetano Cipolla
from 1987 to the present. Our other publication, Sicilia Parra was originally
edited by John Randazzo of our Los Angeles Branch, and it was published for
a few years. A new series of Sicilia Parra began in 1989 and continues to the
present with Gaetano Cipolla as editor. Henry Barbera was Co-editor until
2000. As you may know, Henry passed away on Sept.. 24, 2000. Gaetano Cipolla’s
responsibilities of producing the newsletter wew alleviated by the appointment of Giuseppe Provenzano as Associate Editor in 2003.
During the first phase, Arba Sicula was very successful in organizing
recitals and performances in churches and schools, but its membership never
rose above 700-800. Then there was a period of stagnation because of illness
and other reasons which jeopardized the organization (1985-7).
Arba Sicula was saved thanks to Mons. Santi Privitera and Dr. Charles
Cappellino who helped with donations, and thanks to Gaetano Cipolla who
first assumed the duties of editor of the journal, making it more mature not
only from a graphic point of view by introducing the the use of computers
and laser printers (the first issues of Arba Sicula were printed using a manual
typewriter), but in its content and language, then assuming the duties as president of the organization. In 1988 Prof. Cipolla assumed the duties as president of the organization.
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Arba Sicula XXIX
l’autri rivisti specializzati si cunsiddiranu furtunati si hannu 300-400 abbunati.
Nautra cosa: tanti rivisti stannu in circulazioni dui, tri anni e poi fallisciunu.
Arba Sicula chist’annu fa vintottu anni di vita, vintottui anni di travagghiu
pi dari o munnu n’idea chiù giusta dâ cultura siciliana e dî so contributi ô munnu.
E’ un traguardu ca attravirsamu cu umiltà e cu granni cumpiacenza pi chiddu
c’avemu fattu, ma puru câ spiranza ca putemu rializzari ancora assai dicchiù nta
l’anni dû terzu millenniu.
Arba Sicula ha statu n’ispirazioni pi tanti Miricani d’origini siciliana. Annu
dopu annu amâ prisintatu u megghiu dâ cultura siciliana, dannucci mutivi di
essiri orgogliosi di essiri Siciliani. Autri società siciliani hannu statu funnatu nta
stu paisi e guardanu a niautri pi ispirazioni e sustegnu. Arba Sicula câ so luci
illuminau a Sicilia e ê Siciliani facennucci canusciri a tutti u megghiu latu d’iddi.
Senza piccari di superbia, nta sti anni u nostru pisu s’ha fattu sentiri e pi chissu
putemu essiri orgogliosi dî nostri contribbuti.
Arba Sicula XXIX
12
Arba Sicula has grown a lot in twenty-eight years, not only in the numbers of subscribers, but also for the excellent reputation it enjoys all over the
world. While we may think that our list of over 2,500 subscribers is small,
because we know that there are many Sicilian-Americans out there and we
should have ten thousand subscribers, we are the most popular journal of
Italian studies in this country. Other specialized Italian journals struggle along
with 300-400 subscribers. Furthermore, many of them fold after two or three
years.
Arba Sicula has been an inspiration to many Sicilian-Americans. It has
made available to them the best of Sicilian culture and year after year has
offered them reasons to be proud of their heritage. Many other Sicilian organizations have been founded throughout the country, and they look to us as
for inspiration and support. Without fear of sounding immodest, Arba Sicula,
by shining a truer light on Sicily and Sicilians, has made a difference and can be
proud of its contributions.
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Arba Sicula XXIX
Puisia Siciliana
LU SCHINFIGNUSU
Di Maria Rosaria Mutolo
A tia ... si, propriu tu!
Viri ca parru cu tia.
Chi fai, t’ ammucci?
Nun vo’ sentiri?
Certu, ti pisanu sti palori!
Sai ca sunnu pi tia, e fai finta di nenti!
E poi, stu fattu ca ti parru ‘ ndialettu,
propriu nun lu supporti;
comu si fussi ‘ ngrisi
e nun capissi chiddu chi dicu!
Lu capisci, ‘u capisci rnegghiu di mia lu sicilianu!
Pero, li genti fini parranu sulu ‘talianu,
picchi, sinno, sunnu cafuni, sunnu pedi ‘ncritati.
Chiddi cornu a tia s’ allordanu la vucca
si parranu sicilianu!
Ma chi ti pari? Puru ju sacciu parrari ‘ nlingua.
Ma cu tia e megghiu nun perdiri tempu,
e ti lassu sulu, tantu nun capisci nenti!
Nun c’e cchiù surdu di cu’ nun voli sentiri!
Tu hai un balatuni ô postu di lu cori!
Ti parru di la terra mia ch’è puru la tua,
e ti voti la facci!
Picchi nun ti nni vai? Vattinni dda unni
si parra furisteri. Accussì si’ cuntentu!
Arba Sicula XXIX
14
Sicilian Poetry
The Haughty Man
Di Maria Rosaria Mutolo
translated by Gaetano Cipolla
You, yes you!
I am talking to y ou, yes you!
Why are you hiding?
You do not want to hear? My words must weigh on you!
You know they’re meant for you
and you make believe it’s nothing.
The fact I’m talking to you in dialect
is something you can’t bear.
as though I spoke in English
that you don’t understand.
You understand Sicilian maybe better than I do.
But uppity people speak only Italian,
otherwise people might believe
you’re a poor slob with dirty feet.
Men like you don’t want to taint their mouth
by speaking in Sicilian.
What do you think? I too can speak Italian.
But with you I don’t want to waste my breath
and leave you alone, You really do not get it.
No one is deafer than the man who does not want to hear.
You have a slab of stone instead of a heart.
I am talking of the land that’s mine and yours
and you just turn the other way. Why don’t you go away?
Go where they speak a foreign tongue and you’ll be happy.
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Arba Sicula XXIX
Il PARLAMENTU
Di Mario Scaglia
Chî deputati, misu ‘n parlamentu,
lu prisidenti stava a ciarmuIiari.
Qualcunu già cci dava ‘Uumalu avventu:
‘’’Sta liggi nun è bona! ‘Un pò passari!”
“Gnurnò. Nun babbiati! Stati attentu.
Liggiti. E daccussì. Cci sacciu fari!
Nun spogliu li sacchetti a stu cunventu,
ma a chiddi ca si fannu cumannari!”
Si persuadi ed approva ‘u parlamentu.
Quann’ eccu un generali ddà arrivari.
Dici: “Eccellenza, a casa l’ha’ purtari
cà lu spugliaru tuttu!”
“A quantu sentu -scattia ‘u prisidentiappi a sgarrari!
‘Nzoccu diciti vu’ nun pò quatrari.
Si semu tutti ccà, cu pò arrubbari?”
‘A storia ‘mbara:
Li cosi onesti si fannu ammucciuni
cu li fani ‘n palisa è un gran crapuni.
Arba Sicula XXIX
16
The Parliament
By Mario Scaglia
The president together with his deputies
was talking in the hall of Parliament.
Someone was giving him an argument:
“This law is just no good. It will not pass!”
“No sir, don’t fool around. Take care and read it.
This is the way. I know what I am doing.
I am not emptying this convent’s pockets,
only of those who let themselves be bossed.”
The Parliament gave in and passed the law.
But then behold! A general arrived
and said: “Excellency, I have to take home.
Someone has emptied out your house completely!”
“There’s something wrong here.”
He mus have made an error.
“What you are saying simply cannot be.
If we’re all here how could a thief go there?”
History teaches:
All honest deeds are done in secrecy
Who does them in the open’s a he-goat.
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Arba Sicula XXIX
‘NTA UN UFFICIU COMUNALI
Di Vincenzo Ancona
“Scusassi; mi lu fa un certificatu?”
Dicia un omo cu tanta prudenza
A lu spurtellu dunni l’impiegatu
mancu nutava di la so prisenza
“Si metta in coda”, rispunni sgarbatu
chiddu, mustrannu la so ‘ndiffirenza
“In coda? Quali coda, s’un c’è nuddu.
Ma chistu è strunzu cu lu piricuddu.”
“Senta, sta carta mi la voli fari?”
insisti dda pirsuna sempri brava
“Mi scusi si la vinni a disturbari.
Un ci vinia s’un mi bisognava.”
“Ci ho detto, stia in coda ad aspettari”
senza chi mancu ‘nfacci lu taliava.
Allura chiddu; “Mi pigghi pi fissa?”
Metti un cazzottu e pigghiati chissa
“Ahi!” Si susi a lampu l’impiegatu
e “Chi è stato questo mascalzone?
Ma lei l’ha visto? Che ha fatto, è scappato?
Io lo denunzio: atto d’aggressione.”
“Ma chi nni sacciu. Nun l’haiu nutatu
A cu va trova ‘nta sta confusioni?
av’a capiri quannu chi c’è fudda
c’è qualchedunu chi scappa e cafudda”
Arba Sicula XXIX
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Inside the Municipal Office
By Vincenzo Ancona
“Excuse me, can you issue a certificate
for me,” a man asked cautiously outside
the window of a clerk who had not seen him.
“Just stand on line there,” curtly said the clerk.
The fellow seeing his indifference remarked:
“What line? There’s no one here” and added to himself
This guy must be a veritable jerk.
“Say there, I really need this piece of paper,”
the man continued in a friendly voice.
“I’m sorry if I am disturbing you.
I would not be here if I did not need it.”
“I told you just to stand on line and wait,”
the man replied not even looking up.
So then the fellow said: “You take me for a fool?”
And as he did reached out and punched the clerk.
“Ahi,” the office clerk immediately got up
and cried: “Who was the scoundrel who struck me?
Did you see who it was? Did he run out?
I’m going to sue him for assault for sure.”
“I do not know, I did not see the guy.
Who’s going to find him now in this confusion
You have to understand when there’s a crowd
there are folks who throw punches and run out.
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Arba Sicula XXIX
COMU SI PO’ SMINNARI UN PATRIMONIU
Di Pino Maltese
Si dici ca pri sminnari un patrimoniu,
si nun si ci metti ‘mmezzu lu dimoniu,
ci sunnu a quantu pari, nta l’assiemi,
‘nta tuttu lu munnu sulu tri sistemi:
- li fillmini,
e lu sistema chi all’omini chiu piaci
e canci i sordi cu carizzi e baci;
- lu jocu,
e forsi di tutti lu chiù emuziunanti
e addiventanu diavuli anchi i santi;
- l’architettu,
tu ‘ncapu ‘a testa ci vulivi un tettu:
iddu ti studia cu la so’ menti un gran progettu,
‘cca un pilastru, ‘dda una scala, la piscina,
ti tramuta ‘nna un salottu la cucina,
ci ‘nni spuntanu centu ogni matina,
Dicci sempri di si, e stai sicuru
ca t’arridduci cu li spaddi o' muru!
(Alla mia carissima nipote DANIELA NANIA, Architetto)
Arba Sicula XXIX
20
How You Can Lose your fortune
By Pino Maltese
People believe that squandering one’s fortune
even if devils do not get into the act,
apparently can be accomplished only
in three ways in this world of ours:
Women
This is the system that men like the most
So they exchange their dough for kisses and caresses
Gambling
This is perhaps the most exciting game
and it can turn a saint into a devil.
The architect,
You wanted just a roof above your head:
An architect will draw a mighty project:
a staircase here, a column there, the pool
your kitchen soon becomes a living room
and every day he comes with a new plan.
Say yes to him and you can rest assured
he’ll pin you with your back against the wall.
(To my dear niece Daniela Nania, architect)
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ME NONNA NARDINEDDA
Di Nino DeVita
Me’ nonna Nardinedda
- curta, cu’ i peri lesti,
travagghina - nnall’urtimi
cocci ri vita avia
- e ‘ nzurra - ‘a testa china
ri stravacantarii.
M’u ricordu: attangava,
appena chi scurava,
cu’ firriggijara, porti,
mizzini e finistredda:
v’ appuntiddava seggi,
marruggia, tavulina ...
Ri notti, arruspigghjata,
si susia pi’ vviriri, sciugghia
prijeri a ttti i santi
e litanii.
Ma i latri
‘un ci cinniru mai
Nna ssa povira casa
‘mmicchit’a a mezz’ô bagghiu.
‘U reci avustu r’u cinquantanovi,
a ottant’anni, nno lettu,
mentri si nn’ija
me nonna
ciatau a me patri
—chi cci stava allatu—
Ô capizzu e chiancia—:
“va a cuntrullar’a porta
R’a stadda, figghiu meu,
mi pari c’un fu cchiusa
bbona.”
Arba Sicula XXIX
22
My Grandmother Leonarda
Nino De Vita
My grandmother Leonarda
—short but fast on her feet—
always running around,
was full of stubborn
and extravagant ideas.
During her last few
bits of life
I recall that she
as soon as darkness fell,
would start to lock all doors,
and windows, even small ones.
She wedged chairs, tables, and pick shovels
against the doors.
If she awoke at night,
she would get up to check
and would begin a litany of prayers
to all the saints.
But the thieves never came
inside that poor and ancient house
around the courtyard.
On the ten of August
of Nineteen-fifty-nine
when she was eighty,
My grandmother n her bed,
as she was leaving us
whispered to my father
who was crying next to her pillow
“Go check the door
to the stable, my son,
I don’t think it was closed
properly.”
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LA VISITA
di Marisa Frasca
Mi truvasti nta’ lu lettu
cu lu sonnu beddu chinu
versu li 4 di matina,
orariu di New York.
Senza mancu tuppuliari
mi trasisti nta’ la testa.
Eri cuntenta e frisca
comu raramenti t’haiu vistu.
Avevi cumpagnia.
Cui, nun lu capiu.
Sacciu sulu
ca facevavu bordellu.
Pui, riturnau lu silenziu.
T’appoggiasti la testa nta’ lu me cuscinu
comu se m’avevi a cunfirari lu misteru dilla vita,
e mi dicisti:
“Huh! Cu e’ chissa cu la panza tisa?”
Ppi diri la virita’, m’incazzaiu.
Pinsaiu: Chi modo e’ chistu
di na matri morta visitari na figghia
viva ca riposa?
Ma pui capiu.
Avevi vogghia di schirzari.
Sbadigghiannu, e menza n’sunnacchiata,
t’arrispunniu:
“Huh! Chissa, cu po’ essiri?”
Tutta na vota, mi ‘ntisi comu se eramu o paisi,
a Vittoria versu lu tardu vespiri,
assittati davanti la nostra porta a Via Vicenza,
Iu e tia, intimi amici,
e vulevamu sparrari.
Vittimu passari a Cuncetta, quidda tutta panza,
e cu li gammi sicchi sicchi.
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The Visit
By Marisa Frasca
translated by the author
You found me in bed
with full sleep over me
at about 4 a.m.,
New York time.
Without even knocking
you entered my head.
You were fresh and content
as I’ve rarely seen you.
You had company.
Who, I couldn’t tell.
All I know is
you were making a racket.
Then, silence returned.
You put your head on my pillow
as if you were going to reveal the mystery of life
to me and said:
“Huh! Who is that with her belly hard and high?”
To tell the truth, I was pissed off.
I thought: What way is this
for a dead mother to visit her daughter
whose alive and resting?
But then I understood.
You wanted to play.
Yawning, and half asleep,
I answered:
“Huh! Who do you suppose it is?”
Suddenly, I had the feeling we were in our town,
in Vittoria late afternoon,
sitting in front of our door on Via Vicenza,
you and I, intimate friends,
and we wanted to gossip.
We saw Concetta passing, the one who’s all belly,
and with skinny skinny legs.
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Si stuccava li scianghi di latu e latu
cu ogni passu
p’accumpariri chiu’ strolica, ppi sintirsi la Reggina Elizabetta.
Ma la vistina l’aveva assai chiu’ curta di davanti
e a causa di la panza
pareva na jaddina ammaistrata,
na jaddina indossatrice nta’ la passarella.
Mi misi a ririri pinsannu a Cuncetta,
I’avevi sempre supra o nasu a chissa,
quannu passava, dicevi spissu:
“Ma’, sta’ Vitturisa cu la panza tisa,
cu si senti d’essiri?
Pari ca tutti cacarunu e ficiru a idda!”
E accussi’, cu Cuncetta ancora nta’ la menti
mi ricurdaiu autri frasi e frammenti
dilla nostra vita.
Cornu quannu
ti cunfiravi li guai e suffrimenti
cu qualchi vicina di casa.
Ti isavi un supracigliu e suspirari,
“Ah Signura bedda mia,
li guai di la pignata li sapi sulu la cucciara ca l’arrimina.”
E ti sintevi prurenti.
Oppuru quannu me frati era giovanottu
e s’impumatava tuttu
senza ca prima si lava va.
Cornu se avevi dari prova alla giuria, tu sparavi,
“Di supra lisci lesce’,
E di sutta viriti cchi c’e’!”
Ti ricordi quannu emigrammu,
quantu littri scrivisti all’amici e li parenti a Vittoria!
Ogni littra cuminciava la stissa, nall’!talianu ca sapivi, naturalmenti:
“Cari ,
Noi bene. Cosi’ speriamo di voi.
L’ America e’ menzogna.
Credetemi, qua’ si suda sangue.”
Cu li littri mittevi fotografie di mia e tia in posa.
Tu cu lu telefunu,
Iu cu lu televisuri,
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She was swaying her hips from side to side
with every stride
to appear like she was the cat’s meow, Queen Elizabeth.
But her dress was so much shorter in the front
and because of all that belly hard and high
she looked like a trained chicken,
modeling on the runway.
I laughed hard thinking of Concetta,
and how you always had it in for her,
whenever she walked by, you said:
“But, this Vittorese, with her belly hard and high,
who does she think she is?
Like her crap doesn’t stink!”
And just like that, with Concetta still in my head
I remembered other phrases and fragments
of our life.
Like when·
you would compare your troubles and suffering
with some neighbor.
You’d raise an eyebrow and sigh,
“Ah my dear Signora,
only the spoon that’s mixing knows the problems of the pot.”
And you felt prudent.
Or when my brother was a young man
and he would polish and perfume himself
without actually washing.
As if giving evidence to a jury, you’d blast him,
“On the surface you’re all pretty pretty
but underneath, just take a look at the filth!”
Remember when we emigrated,
all the letters you wrote to our family and friends in Vittoria!
Every letter began the same, in the Italian that you knew, naturally
“Dear ,
We are well. We hope the same for you.
America is a lie.
Believe me, here we sweat blood.”
With the letters you included photographs of you and me posing.
You with the telephone,
me with the television,
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cosi ca a lu paisi ancora si sunnavanu.
L’arrivasti a capiri quantu era stramrnu
mettiri telefunu, TV e sangu tutti nta’ la stessa busta?
Dopu un’annu d’ America, pirdisti lu maritu.
Avevi 37 anni, cu dui figghi ancora nichi.
Nun avevi nè casa, nè lingua, nè famigghia.
Ti tiravi li capiddi.
Gridavi: “Turiddu,
c’iappizzasti la vita nta’sta terra strana
e mi lassasti.
Ma picchi,?
Picchi?
Chi ci fici allu Signuri?”
E dopu ca ni criscisti
Cornu megghiu ca putisti,
a fari sacchetti, “a pisi worki” cornu dicevi tu,
3 sordi a pezzu,
3 sordi ogni sacchetta
e ogni sira calculari nta’ lu blockettu
quant’era la paga,
ti vinni dda malattia tinta
e li dittura mi dissiru di nun spirari.
Ma iu, ca mi facevu cririri,
ti dissi ca la saluti riturnava.
Tu, ppi si’ e’ ppi no,
ti mittisti a fari patti cu lu Signuri.
Nun sacciu chi cosa ci dicisti,
ma lu cummincisti,
ppi n’anticchia ‘e tempu.
Arrivasti alia sittantina,
vurricasti lu secunnu maritu,
viristi criscriri li niputi.
Tra na preghiera e na lamintela,
ancora avevi ammiraturi
ca ti mannavanu sciuri e ti vulevanu spusari.
Qualchi vota, puru quannu stavi ppi finiri,
se sintevi musica, ancora ti spurtava.
M’ammitavi a ballari la manzurca.
Ti piacia purtari,
Arba Sicula XXIX
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things that most people in our home town still only dreamed of.
Did you ever get to understand how weird it was,
to put telephone, TV and blood all in the same envelope?
After that first year in America, you lost your husband.
You were 37, with two little kids.
You had no home, no language, no family.
You pulled your hair.
You screamed: “Turiddu,
you hung up your life in this strange land
and left me.
But why?
Why?
What did I ever do to God?”
And after you raised us
as best you could
by making pockets, “peezee workee” as you used to say,
3 cents a piece,
3 cents a pocket
and calculating every night on your little pad
how much you earned,
you got that nasty disease
and the doctors told me not to hope.
But I, who could make you believe,
told you that your health would return.
You, just to be on the safe side,
started making deals with God.
I don’t know what you said,
but you convinced Him,
for a time.
You made it past your seventies,
buried your second husband,
saw your grandchildren grow.
Between your prayers and your laments,
you still had admirers
who sent you flowers and proposed.
And sometimes, even when you were almost done for,
if you heard music, you’d get into it.
You’d invite me to dance the manzurca.
You liked to lead,
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accussi’,
comu eri cumminata,
zoppica, curva e tignusa.
La me frasi preferita? La vuoi sapiri?
Chidda ca ti chiamava to’ nonna Catina.
“La Cumirianti,
La Cumirianti Di Lu Tiatru.”
A propositu, vi viriti?
Chi ura e’ unni siti?
Ppi cumpagnia a cu aviti?
Toto’ e Angilu Musco?
Ah! Picch’ issu sentu bordellu
vi futtiti di risati!
Scriviti sceni, cantati e recitati
alli 4 di matina
a spisi mei.
Oh Matri mia! Si na cumirianti.
Cumirianti di lu tiatru di prima categoria.
Arba Sicula XXIX
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just like that,
as you were,
crippled, bent and bald.
My favorite phrase? You want to know it?
It’s what your grandmother Catena called you:
“The Comedian,
The Stand-Up Comedian.”
By the way, do you see each other?
What time is it where you are?
Who else do you have for company?
Toto’ and Angelo Musco?
Ah!, I see, no wonder I hear the racket
you’re all killing yourselves with laughter!
You’re writing plays, singing and reciting
At 4 a.m.
at my expense.
Oh Mother! You’re a comedian.
A first-rate stand-up comedian.
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A’atì (a carusa rubbata dî pirati)
Di Alfio Inserra
Tu la vidisti, olivu saracimu,
e la sintisti chianciri e gridari,
tu chi sbalanchi li to rami nsinu
ncelu e ti torci, mpittannu lu mari.
Nun ti putia sradicari lu ventu
zuttiannu a morti sti Turchi assassini
ca mi lassaru spersu e senza abbentu
purtannusi lu sangu di sti vini?
A’atì, unni sì? Sutta voscura feli?
Ti stravia lu disertu senza friscu
o, sutta spanghi di petri ficìli
t’ammuccia lu pirata barbariscu?
Chi ci mittisti li turri a difisa,
Giuvanni di la Vega, munsignuri,
ca nun bastaru a sburdiri sta mprisa
e schiava si nni parti lu me amuri.
Supra la rina dunni t’aggranfaru
mi strantuliu, chiancennu la to sorti,
spaccu lu labbru cu lu suli amaru
e m’arruzzòlu cu l’unni chiù forti.
S’avissi n manu la spata d’Orlannu
comu ncori mi sta la so pazzia
tuttu lu munnu mi nni issi furriannu,
senza risettu, pi truvari a tia.
A, matri scelerata e senza cori,
nun sintisti l’arringa di lu bannu?
“Nun ghiti a mari ca ci su li Mori!”
e la mannasti a circari lu nannu.
Amuri miu chi fai? Cu cu ti curchi?
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Agatha (the girl kidnapped by the pirates)
by Alfio Inserra
You saw her and you heard her cry and scream
Saracen olive tree, who throw your arms
wide open toward the heaven and you twist
and writhe to pose a challenge to the sea.
Couldn’t the wind uproot you as it lashed
to death those murderous and heartless Turks
who left me lost and without consolation
when they kidnapped the blood out of my veins?
Agatha, where are you? In frightful woods?
Lost in the desert where no fresh air blows,
or does the Arab pirate keep you hidden
beneath a pile of stones baked by the sun?
Why did you build all those defensive towers,
Giovanni de la Vega, my Monsignor,
if they did not succeed in stopping this deed
that made my love depart as a poor slave?
Upon the sand where they made you their prey
I writhe and weep upon your destiny,
I split my lips apart in the bitter sun
and hurl myself against the strongest waves.
If I possessed Orlandu’s mighty sword
as I possess his madnesss in my heart,
I would roam through each part of the known world
without repose in order to find you.
Ah, mother without heart and without care,
did you not hear the town cryer announce
“Don’t go down to the beach: The Turks are there!”
And yet you sent her there to fetch her grandfather.
My love, what are you doing? Who now shares
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Cu ti l’allappa sta vucca di meli?
A pinsariti n manu di li Turchi
mi sfardu li vudedda e agghiuttu feli.
Tu chi appena passavi pi li strati,
bianca di latti e russa di puduri,
paria quannu lu suli di l’estati
ammìla d’oru la zagara n ciuri.
E mentri stavi ntall’aia pi spulari,
cu li spighi mpagghiati ntra li trizzi
paria quannu a la scuma di lu mari
nasci la Dia di tutti li biddizzi.
Ora, sutta st’olivu cintinaru
jettu bestemii all’oceanu profunnu
chi m’affucassi stu malu cursaru
e, pi la dogghia, la menti cunfunnu.
Priannu, ncinucchiatu n facci all’unni,
ti chianciu e lu to nomu gridu nvanu,
ca sulu l’ecu a mari m’arrispunni
mentri la navi ti porta luntanu.
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34
you bed? Who sucks the honey from your mouth?
Thinking of you emprisoned by the Turks
makes my intestines writhe as I eat gall.
And you who were milk white and red from blushing
as soon as you set foot outside your door,
resembled orange blossoms when the sun
paints them with honey in the days of summer.
And while you were there on the threshing floor
with stalks of wheat and hay mixed in your hair,
you seemed to be the Goddess of all beauty
when she emerged out of the foaming sea.
Now under this centenary olive tree
I hurl my curses at the deepest ocean
beseeching it to drown that evil pirate,
and for the pain, my mind is all confused.
Praying upon my knees before the waves
I cry for you and call your name in vain
but only the echo answers me at sea
while on the ship you’re taken far away.
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Prosa Siciliana
L’eroi
Di Berto Giambalvo
ra nta la finitoria di lu misi d’aprili di dd’annata, lu suli unn-era
arraggiatu: sciusciava um-minticeddu leggiu leggiu chi-ppiacia a
li vecchi, a li nutrica eppuru a li malati. Tuttu lu paisi di
Castedduvitranu era nton rrivugghiu, um veru firmicularu; tutti li megghiu
crozzi sciuti nchianu: di l’Arcipreti a lu Potestà, lu Ddiliatu, prufissura e avvucati,
sbirri di tutti li muzzini. Avianu abbattuta pi-ddavanti la bbanna cu strumenti
di rramu chi-ssunava il Piave mormorò (1i carni addivintavanu spinguli spinguli);
e-gghianu versu la stazzioni ch’all’unnici arrivava Peppi Tilotta ntisu «lu
Cannuneri»: un eroe, un cristianu chi cci abbastava l’arma, ddrittu comu lu fusu
di la vecchia. Avia vrazza e ggammi comu quattru pezza di truncuna; di pilatura
siciliana cu li supraggigghia ntruffati, scanniddiava mmezzu dda fudda tra li
evviva e li bbattuti di manu, mentri la bbanna sicutava il Piave mormorò ... E mpriciss’ioni, comu lu Signuri, quasi senza faricci pusari peri nterra, lu purtaru a
lu Municipiu, dunni lu Potestà, ncingatu cu la fascia a-ttricculura, cci fici unniscursu chi-mmacari a li quatri cci affacciaru l’armi all’occhi e-ccu li so manu
cci appunta a lu pettu na miraglia d’oru, mentri la bbanna sicutava il Piave
mormorò ...
Peppi Tilotta turnà a la so casa, a lu so paisi, a lu so sirvizzu, dopu aviri
diffinnutu di l’Austriaci la Patria, no-ccu li chiacchiari ma cu la so peddi, vinennu
a-ttu pi-ttu cu la bbaiunetta nfrinzata di sangu a-ffarisi scannari comu umporcu. Fu sul Carso, sul monti Rrappa, sul monti Cuccu, sul Piave; e, quannu
iddu cu li so cumpagni foru misi n fua a-Ccapurettu, cu la forza bbistiali chippussiria si carrica la canna di lu cannuni e-ssi la purtà appressu p’un farisi
ammazzari cu la so stessa arma, mittennusi n-zarvamentu iddu e li so cumpagni
nzemmula a lu capitanu. Pi-cchissu quannu sintia sunari «Il Piave mormorò>>
la facci cci canciava di culuri e li carni cci addivintavanu spinguli spinguli: sa
quantu cosi cci vinianu davanti all’occhi!
Dopu di ddu iornu sullenni, di l’ eroi Peppi Tilotta un nni parlà cchiùnnuddu: cci arristà la miraglia, la ngiuria di cannurieri e-ddu corpa di bbaiunetta
di strisciu chi cci scuseru un-ciancu. Ma ie mi dumannu e-ddicu: picchì Rricu
Toti fu misu nta la storia e-mmacari quarchi strata cci la didicaru, picchì cci tira
la crozza all’ Austriaci e cci dissi “Viva l’Italia”? Ma lu zzu Peppi l’app’a-ddiri
E
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36
Sicilian Prose
The Hero
By Berto Giambalvo
Translated by Gaetano Cipolla
e were at the last few days of the month of April that year.
The sun was not raging, there was a light breeze that pleased
the old people, the children and event the sick people. The
whole town of Castelvetrano was in turmoil, real ants’ nest; the most important heads were there from the Archpriest to the Mayor, from the Facist Delegate to professors and layers, cops of every kind. They were following a band
with instruments of bronze that played Il Piave mormorò that gave one goose
pimples. They were going toward the train station because at eleven o’clock
Peppe Tilotta known as “the cannoneer” was arriving. He was a hero, a rock of
a man who had undaunted courage, who stood tall like the Column of the Old
Lady. He had arms and leg like four tree trunks. He had a Sicilian complexion
with bushy eyebrows and stood way above the crowd that welcomed him with
hurray and clapping hands, while the band continued to play Il Piace mormorò.
They brought as in a procession carrying him literally from the station to the
Municipal building where the Mayor wearing his Tri-colored sash delivered a
speech that moved to tears even the portraits on the wall. He then proceeded
to pin with his own hand a gold medal on the chest while the band continued
to play Il Piave mormorò…
Peppe Tilotta went back to his house, to his town and to his work after
he defended his Homeland against the Austrians, not with empty talk but putting his skin on the line., facing the bayonet stained with blood that could have
killed like a pig. It happened on the Carso, on Mount Grappa, near the Piave
River and when he and his comrades were routed at Caporetto, with his awesome strength he carried on his back their cannon so it could not be used
against them as they fled. He saved his life and that of his comrades and his
captain. For this reason whenever he heard the song Il Piave mormorò his face
would changed color and his flesh started to quiver. God knows how many
things passed through before his eyes.
After that solemn day, no one ever spoke again of Peppe Tilotta. He was
left with his gold medal, the nickname of “cannoneer” and two bayonet wounds
that sliced his side. And thus I ask myself and say: Why did they write Enrico
W
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pi-fforza, dopu quarchi-cchilometru di purtari, assicutatu, la canna di lu cannuni
ncoddu, «Viva Maria». Ma ntantu un nni parlà cchiù-nnuddu e-mmancu nni
vosiru cchiù-ssentiri parlari, picchì unn-era lu Peppi cannuneri di na vota, chi la
vicchiaia, chi-pprestu iunci, l’arridducì darrè na porta di chiesa anchi picchì cci
vinia ... stramanu mettiri pignata, e cchiossà di na vota iu ni lu Sinnacu cu la
miraglia misa, si cci dava um-mersu di campari; ma siccomu nun fu un eroe di
la Libberazzione e-ppoi a-ssittant’anni era na cattedda d’ossa, mancu lu taliavanu.
E-ddopu tanti mprisi, e cci vosiru purtati p’un fallu moriri veramenti di
fami, la Comuni cci cuncirì l’alta carica di pulizziari lu pisciaturi a-Ssant’ Antonu,
ogni-ttantu ittaricci un catu d’acqua. Si viria a lu zzu Peppi cu la miraglia d’ oru
appuntata cu na spingula nurrizza all’occhiettu di la ggiacca e lu catu mmanu:
di tanta gloria a-ttanta umiliazzioni! Cc’era di fari comu fici Rricu Toti cull’Austriaci, di tiraricci ncanciu di la crozza lu catu nta la facci a lu Sinnacu cuttutti l’assessura e-bbuciannu forti «Viva l’Italia»!
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38
Toti’s name into the history books and even named a few streets after him,
because he threw his crutches at the Austrians saying “Long live Italy!” but not
Uncle Peppe who must have really had to yell “Long live Mary” carrying the
heavy cannon on his back a few miles with the Austrians chasing him? Nobody
spoke of him any more nor did they want to hear anything about him. He was
no longer the Peppe “cannoneer” that he was once. Old age –which arrives
soon—reduced him to beg for food behind the church door. He found it
cumbersome to put up a pot to cook, and more than once he went to the
Mayor with his Gold Medal to ask if he could give him the means to live. But
as he was not a hero of the Liberation nobody even looked at him. At seventy
years of age he was reduced to a pile of bones.
And after so many attempts and a great deal of obstinacy on his part—
and thanks to a few recommendations—the town granted him a “High privilege” of cleaning the town’s urinal in the Saint Anthony’s quarters so that he
would not starve to death. He was supposed to throw a pail of water in the
urinal once in a while. You could see uncle Peppe wearing his gold medal with
a pin on his lapel carrying a pail of water. From so much glory to greater
humiliation. It would have been fitting to repeat the deed of Enrico Toti with
the Austrians and hurl against the face of the Mayor and all the councilmen
not the crutches but the pail of water yelling “Long live Italy!”
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Lu canarieddu accuntintatu
Di Carmelo Lauretta
erti cosi nun si cridissiru se nun si vidissiru cu li propri occhi,
comu li vitti iu. In faccia a la me casa ci abita na brasiliana Rachelas
cu ‘n figghiu di na decina d’anni, cunnannatu nti na carruzzedda
di quannu nasciu e ca si chiama Edì Hernandez.
Havi li jammi ciunchi e li manu sturciuti ca nun pò addizzari. Quannu
parra, murmuria paroli ca ci voli tempu a capirisi, e quannu ti talia, l’occhi ti
fannu pieta e nun ridunu mai.
So matri è sempri appressu a riddu: lu vesti, lu pulizia, ci duna a mangiari,
lu porta a spassu, lu accumpagna nni la scola di li disabili, ci joca, lu fa divertiri:
nun ci fa capiri chiddu ca havi dintra lu cori e ca si ci leggi nni la facci ca pari
stirata di ferru: lu maritu mortu a trent’anni, scacciatu di ‘n macchinariu di la
segheria, unni travagghiava, e lu distinu di stu figghiu nchiodatu nta carruzzedda!
Davanzi a la finestra di Edì c’e lu balcuni di la signura Celestina, na fimmina
tutta cori, ca teni appisa nni lu muru na gabbia eleganti cu ‘n canarieddu russu
di pilatura, beddu ncutugnatu di carni, ballarinu di na sbarra all’autra, sempri
fistanti e cantaturi. Cu Edì si talianu sempri cu simpatia e nun passa jornu ca
nun lu chiama Piò ... Piò ... Piò ... e iddu ci fa casicatummi di festa. Ma na
matina chi successi? Comu fu comu nun fu, la signura Celestina forsi pi la
prescia, si scurdau di chiudiri lu sportellu di la gabbia, ca grapia, ogni matina, pi
mittirici l’acqua, iu mangimi, e na pampinedda di lattuga virdi e iu canarieddu,
mancu ci parsi veru, si nni scappau.
Tuttu s’avissi pinsatu ca avissi approfittatu di irasinni iuntanu a gudirisi a
libertà e s’avissi jutu a perdiri pi nun si fari ‘nciaccari chiùi e ca avissi fattu
dispirari la so signura Celestina. Inveci cu lu cridissi? Nesciri di la gabbia e
pigghiari la direzioni di la casa di Edì e trasiri dintra la finistredda aperta fu
tuttunu.
Edì nun cridia a li so occhi e gridava Piò ... Piò ...
Piò ... e lu canarieddu fermu supra lu comò, lu taliava e friscava friscava:
pari ca lu vulia cunfurtari, ca ci vulia stari vicinu, ca ci vulia mustrari la so pietà.
Versu sira, la Celestina, comu a lu solitu, grapiu lu balcuni pi trasiri dintra
la gabbia, ristau paralizzata, taliava di ca di dda e lu aucidduzzu nun c’era. Si
dava pugni nni la testa ca s’avia scurdatu aperta la gabbia.
Si firmau na bedda urata nni lu balcuni a spiari a cu passava di lu vicinatu
se s’avissi vistu lu so canarieddu e parrava accussì forti e allarmata e ‘ncuttata
ca Rachelas, ‘n funnu a l’alcova la sintiu, affacciau di la finistredda e ci dissi: -
C
Arba Sicula XXIX
40
The Satisfied Canary
By Carmelo Lauretta
Translated by Gaetano Cipolla
ertain thing if you did not see them with your own eyes as I did
would be difficult to believe. There is a Brazilian woman named
Rachelas living across the street from me who has a son who is
relegated to a wheel chair since he was born. His name is Edì Hernandez.
His legs are paralyzed and his hands are twisted so he can’t even straighten
them out. When he speaks his words are difficult to understand and when he
looks at you you’re moved by pity. His eyes never smile.
His mother is always near him: dressing him, feeding him, taking him out
and accompanying him to the school for disabled children. She plays with him
and tries to amuse him; she does not let him understand what she feels inside
her heart, but you can see it in her face so taut it looks as if an iron passed over
it. Her husband died when he was thirty. He was packed in by the machinery
of the cutting plant where he worked and also by the fate of a son nailed to a
wheel chair.
Across from Edì’s window there is Mrs. Celestina’s balcony. She is a generous woman who has a little canary inside an elegant cage. The bird is red, has
a strong body and dances back and forth across its cage singing with joy. The
boy Edì and the canary always look at each other with affection and not a day
goes by without his calling Piò, Piò, Piò… the bird in turn jumps with joy. But
one morning this is what happened. I don’t really know how it happened, but
Mrs. Celestina, perhaps because she was rushing, forgot to close the door to
the cage that she opened every morning to put in water, seeds and a leaf of
fresh lettuce. The little canary could not believe it and flew away.
One would think that the bird would fly away and enjoy its newfound
freedom and that it would do everything possible so as not to be captured
again, making Mrs. Celestina very upset. Instead—who would have thought
it?—as soon as it flew out of its cage he went straight for Edì’s little open
window. Edì could not believe his eyes and kept saying, Piò, Piò, Piò… and the
little canary sitting on the night table kept looking at him as he continued to
sing . It seemed as if it wanted to console the boy, that he wanted to stay near
him and show him all its compassion.
At night fall, when Celestina went out to the balcony to bring in the cage
for the night, she was shocked. She looked left and right, but the bird was
nowhere to be found. She hit her head several times for having left the door to
the cage open.
C
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Ca è chiddu ca cerca, è vicinu a Edì ca ci fa - Piò ... Piò ...Piò... e ci vola ‘n coddu
... Ora vegnu subitu e ci lu portu. - A sti paroli, Edì scoppiau a chianciri, a
sbattiri la testa di ccà e di ddà nni la carruzzedda, a fari cosi di dispiratu, comu
nun avia fattu mai, tantu ca Rachelas tutta ‘mprissionata e avviluta, senza perdiri
tempu, si nni jiu e assumau nni lu palazzu di la signura Celestina, senza purtarisi
lu canarieddu. Si ci jttau a li pedi, ci rivilau la dispirazioni di lu figghiu disgraziatu
e ci dissi; - Signura, me figghiu sta facennu l’infernu, nun voli sentiri ragiuni,
teni l’aucidduzzu strittu ne manu. - Lu chiantu ci lavava la facci e i lacrimi ci
arrivavanu nti la vucca e s’ammiscavanu cu li paroli. Facissi felici un poviru
dannatu! Facissi cuntu ca lu Piò ... Piò si nni avissi vulatu a perdiri nni li campagni!
Finiu ca a Celestina ci rimuddau lu cori, si la abbrazzau e nun sulu ci
benediciu lu canarieddu, ma ci detti magari la gabbia specialissima e accussì
Edì si lu putia purtari nni la carruzzedda paisi paisi.
Cchi cunfortu duna la pietà nti stu munnu!
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42
She remained on the balcony for about an hour asking any passerby if he
had seen her canary. She spoke so loudly and was so agitated that Rachelas
who was inside her alcove heard her and leaned over the window and said to
her: “The bird you’re looking for is here, near Edì who’s calling it: Piò, Piò,
Piò… The bird just flew to Edì. Now I will take it and bring it back to you.”
On hearing these words Edì began to cry, shaking his head left and right violently. He reacted with desperation as he had never done before. Rachelas was
so frightened and upset that, without wasting time, went across the street and
climbed up to Mrs. Celestina house without the little canary. She kneeled before her and told her about the despair that had overtaken her unfortunate son
at the thought of losing the canary: “Mrs. Celestina, my son is very upset. He
does not want to hear anything, he is holding the little canary in his hands and
does not want to let him go.” Tears were streaming down her face, entering her
mouth so that her words were mixed with tears. She begged her to make that
poor and wretched boy happy. “Make believe that the Piò, Piò, Piò…has flown
away into the woods.
Celestina’s heart softened in the end, she embraced her and not only did
she gave her blessing for the canary, but she gave her very special cage to the
boy so the he could carry the canary with him around town on his wheel chair.
What great things can be achieved through compassion in this world!
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Saggistica Siciliana
Giustaposizioni dâ vecchia e nova Sicilia
ntâ littiratura poliziesca di Camilleri.
Di Piera Carroli
traduzioni in sicilianu di Gaetanu Cipolla
ndria Camilleri divintau unu dî cchiù famusi rumanzeri taliani,
canusciutu nta tuttu u munnu specialmenti pî so storii polizieschi
di Muntalbanu. Un dialogu cuntinuu ntra Sicilii diffirenti emergi
ntâ narrativa di Camilleri mentri u passatu e u prisenti sunu ammiscati ntê
discrizioni dû paisaggiu sicilianu e ntê riflessioni di nustalgia pî tradizioni pirduti.
U discursu dû scritturi porta ê litturi a capiri comu li eventi sfurtunati dû passatu
hannu cunsiquenzi supra u prisenti mittennu a mustra u fattu ca i cosi non
cancianu e ca canciunu pû peggiu nSicilia. Eppuru i litturi trovanu tisori liggennu
i storii culinarii e archeologichi sempri accumpagnati dû stili sardonicu di
Camilleri.
“Discrivi u to paisi e discrivi u munnu,” dissi Tolstoi. Ci hannu statu tanti
discrizioni dâ Sicilia ntâ littiratura, ntê film e ntê giurnali. Quacchiduna ha statu
indiminticabili comu chidda dû Gattupardu, e na para ca unu sî vulissi scurdari,
comu u reportage di l’assassiniu di Falcuni. Eliu Vitturini ncapsulau a Sicilia
comu na terra di cuntrasti accussì:
A
“Na Sicilia ca putissi essiri chidda dî Burbuni comu a chidda d’oggi, a
Sicilia di sempri, fertili e disulata, isula filici e terra di fami.”
Comu cunta a Sicilia Camilleri, comu â discrivi? Comu rinesci a catturari
chiddu ca è lucali e univirsali? Distrutturannu i stiriotipi e capuvulgennu sia
l’immagini rumantica dâ Sicilia ca chidda nigativa; circannu di fari vidiri d’unni
veni a malatia di oggi; scuprennu di novu u valuri dâ lingua, u manciari e i
tradizioni dâ genti lucali, e affirmannu di novu u significatu di l’identità lucali e
reggionali pâ sucietà e pi l’individuu.
U sguardu stiriotipicu fatalista dû sicilianu ntê storii polizieschi di Camilleri
è bilanciatu di l’attaccamentu pragmaticu di Muntalbanu â vita e â giustizzia. A
Sicilia è ô stissu tempu un paisi e u munnu unni tradizioni antichi e novi
abbitudini, e tindenzi lucali e globali s’ammiscanu assemula. Li tradizioni antichi
stannu forsi scumparennu eppuru sunu riscuperti cuntempuraniamenti pû fattu
ca a Sicilia è china di tisori pi l’archiologi. U mari sicilianu forsi è cupertu chî
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44
Sicilian Essays
Juxtapositions of Old and New Sicily
in Camilleri’s Detective Literature
Piera Carroli
ndrea Camilleri has become one of the most famous Italian nov
elist, known worldwide especially for his Montalbano detective
stories. A constant dialogue between different “Sicilies” emerges
from Camilleri’s narrative as past and present are interwoven in descriptions
of the Sicilian landscape and in Montalbano’s nostalgic reflections on lost traditions and fare. The writer’s discourse strategy leads readers to understand
how Sicily’s past misfortunes have consequences on the present highlighting
both a lack of change or change for the worse in Sicily. Yet, readers encounter
many treasures when reading the stories: culinary and archeological, always
accompanied by Camilleri’s sardonic style.
“Describe your village well and you will describe the world,” said Tolstoi.
There have been many depictions of Sicily, in literature, film, and the media.
Some unforgettable in The Leopard, some one wishes to forget, such as the
reportage of the murder of Falcone. Elio Vittorini has thus encapsulated Sicily as a land of contrasts:
A
[A Sicily that could be that of the Borboni’s as that of today, the
Sicily of always, fertile and desolate, at once happy island and land
of hunger] (My translation)
How does Camilleri describe and narrate Sicily? How does he succeed in
capturing the local and the universal?: By deconstructing stereotypes and overturning both romantic and the demonized images of Sicily; by exposing the
sources of today’s malaise; by rediscovering the value of local language, food
and folk traditions and reaffirm the significance for individuals and society of
local and regional identity.
The stereotypical fatalist Sicilian glance in Camilleri’s detective literature
is counterbalanced by Montalbano’s pragmatic attachment to life and justice.
Sicily is at once a village and the world where ancient traditions and new habits,
local and global tendencies intermix. Ancient traditions may be disappearing
yet they are contemporaneously unearthed as Sicily is a treasure trove for ar45
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cadaviri di immigranti di
disidderiu ma è ancora ddà beddu
comu sempri, accussì comu
sunnu ddà l’alivara e li cosi antichi.
U filu conduttori dâ vecchia e
nova Sicilia si esemplifica
specialmenti attraversu discrizioni
di paisaggi giugrafichi e suciali
siciliani di l’auturi e attraversu i
riflessioni di Muntalbanu supra u
manciari e i tradizioni populari
assuciati câ so carusanza, e puru attraversu l’usu di un linguaggiu vecchiu e
novu.
I rumanzi di Muntalbanu sunu situati ntôn paisi immaginariu chiamatu
Vigata ca ha statu identificatu comu Portu Empedocli unni nasciu Camilleri. I
testi sunu immersi ntê tradizioni (dû cibu, l’usanzi e i festi) ca s’incontranu
faccia a faccia câ vita di ogni jornu e cû atti di dilinquenza. I discrizioni di
Camilleri dû paisaggiu sicilianu spissu nun hannu nenti di rumanticu. Iddi
dimustranu i segni dâ culonizzazioni e i sviluppi muderni comu l’apirtura dî
frunteri, comu si vidi ntô branu ca segui scrittu ca ironia e cinismu:
“Lumi d’arba nun filtrava ntô curtigghiu dâ Splendor, a cumpagnia
c’avia pigghiatu in appaltu a pulizzia dâ munnizza di Vigata, na
nuvulagghia bascia e densa cummugghiava cumpletamenti u celu
comu si ci avissiru tiratu davanti un tiluni griggiu d’un curniciuni a
l’autru, nun si cataminava na fogghia, u ventu dû sciroccu tardava a
risbigghiarisi dû so sonnu di chiummu, già si faticava a scangiari
palori. ... A Pinu Catalanu e Saro Monteapertu, giovani giometri
giustamenti disoccupati comu giometri ma pigghiati comu “opiraturi
eculogichi” timpuranii grazzi ô ginirusu intirventu di l’onurevuli
Cusumanu... u capusquadra assignau u sitturi canusciutu comu la
Mannara forsi picchì in tempi immimurabbili pari ca un pasturi
avissi usatu purtaricci i so crapi. Era un largu trattu di macchia
miditirrania â piriferia dû paisi ca si spincìa quasi finu a plaia. Darreri
c’eranu i resti d’un granni stabilimentu chimicu inauguratu di
l’onniprisenti onurevuli Cusumanu quannu pareva ca u ventu di li
magnifichi e progressivi sorti sciusciassi, poi ddu vinticeddu s’avia
cangiatu ntôn filu d’aria e finalmenti s’avia stutatu completamenti.
Ma nta ddu pocu tempu avia fattu chiù dannu d’un tornadu
lassannusi darreri i spaddi na scia di cassintegrati e disoccupati. Pi
Arba Sicula XXIX
46
chaeologists. The Sicilian
Sea may be littered with
the corpses of prospective immigrants but it is
still there, as beautiful as
ever, as are the olive trees
and some ancient fare.
The thematic thread of
old and new Sicily is exemplified especially
through description of
the geographical and social Sicilian landscape by the implied author and in light of Montalbano’s reflections on foods and folk traditions associated with his childhood as well as
by the use of new and old language.
The Montalbano novels are set in the fictional town of Vigata in which
many have recognized Porto Empedocle, birthplace of Camilleri. The texts
are thus steeped in tradition (food; folk customs and festivals) which come
face-to-face with day-to-day life and crime in Sicily and are intermingled with
organized local, inter/national. Camilleri’s descriptions of the Sicilian landscape often are far from romantic. They show the signs of colonization as well
as recent development as the opening up of borders, as exemplified in the
following critical ‘spaccato’ (cross-sectional 360 degrees image) of Sicily written with cynical irony:
No light of daybreak filtered yet into the courtyard of Splendor,
the company under government contract to collect trash in the
town of Vigàta. A low, dense mass of clouds completely covered
the sky as though a great gray tarp had been drawn from one corner
to another. Not a single leaf fluttered. The sirocco was late to rise
from its leaden sleep, yet people already struggled to exchange a
few words…To Pino Catalano and Saro Montaperto-young land
surveyors naturally without employment as land surveyors, but hired
by Splendor as temporary “ecological agents” thanks to the generous
string-pulling of Chamber Deputy Cusumano …the sector that
went by the name of the “Pasture”, because in a time now beyond
memory a goat herd had let his goats roam there. It was a broad
tract of Mediterranean brush on the outskirts of town that stretched
almost as far as the shore. Behind it lay the ruins of a large chemical
works inaugurated by the ubiquitous deputy Cusumano when it
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evitari ca a fudda di nivuri e menu nivuri senegalisi e algerini, tunisini,
e libbici facissiru un nidu nta dda fabbrica ci avianu costruitu attornu
attornu un muru autu supra lu quali i strutturi manciati dû
malutempu, incuria e sali marinu si isavanu assumigghiannu sempri
di cchiù a l’architittura di un Gaudì sutta l’influenza di allucinogini.”
(La forma dell’acqua, p2-4, Sellerio Palermo)
U principiu di La forma di l’acqua câ discrizioni dâ Mannara, i resti di mura
auti attornu na fabbrica chimica abbannunata situata ntôn trattu di costa bedda
è n’esempiu di comu l’auturi stabilisci un discursu di critica suciali comu sfunnu
pâ scuperta d’un cadaviri di un omu politicu. L’usu di na mitafora climatica
prolungata è efficaci particularmenti a
1) evucari sintimenti di pisantizza e suffucazioni;
2) discriviri i vani iniziativi dî puliticanti e amministraturi lucali e cuntinintali
3) mustrari l’effetti devastanti c’hannu avutu supra a terra e i so abitanti.
U stili ironicu dâ discrizioni e dû cuntu di li eventi ca hannu purtatu a
Mannara ô squalluri prisenti nun diminusci a carica dâ vuci ca giudica ca i litturi
sentunu.
Comu nta tanti storii polizieschi i storii di Muntalbanu sunu divirtenti,
eppuru nun sunu senza pigghiata di cuscienza suciali, comu videmu ntô branu
di supra. Anzi, parranu a tuttu u munnu cu un discursu di politica suciali di
decolonizzazioni. Sunu testi ibridi, scritti cu na mistura ibrida di talianu, sicilianu,
e na varietà di reggistri pi trasmettiri dialoghi rialistichi e ammiscari vari generi
littirari, i testi di Camilleri sunu dialogichi sia internamenti ca esternamenti a
vari liveddi di stili, narrativa, e discrizioni. I discrizioni di paisaggi e di trami
sunu spissu ammiscati cu riflessioni supra a Sicilia e supra a criminalità lucali e
globali, prisenti e passata. U risultatu è a rapprisintazioni dâ Sicilia comu un
postu unni diffirenti civiltà s’hannu incuntratu lassannu un paisaggiu
archiologicu, artisticu e linguisticu d’accussì comu lassaru puru na terra ruinata
di l’ingiustizzia e oppressioni, perpetuamenti culonizzata.
“Eppuru di 2500 anni semu culonia”
Don Fabriziu Salina U Gattupardu.
Di na manu i colonizzaturi hannu contribuitu p’arricchiri a cultura siciliana
e a mitologia come dimustra nta Il cane di terracotta quannu Muntalbanu trova i
resti di cadaviri ca si tenunu i mani, comu du amanti prutetti d’un cani di
terracotta, darreri nu muru usatu di la mafia p’ammucciari merci di
contrabbannu. Di l’autra a cuntinua colonizzazioni ha avutu n’effettu prufunnu
Arba Sicula XXIX
48
seemed the magnificent winds of progress were blowing strong.
Soon, however, the breeze changed into the flimsiest of puffs before
dropping altogether, but in that brief time it had managed to do
more damage than a tornado, leaving a shambles of compensation
benefits and unemployment in its wake. To prevent the crowds of
black and not-so-black Senegalese, Algerian, Tunisians, and Libyans
wandering about the city from nesting in that factory, a high wall
had been built all around it, above which the old structures still
soared, corroded by weather, neglect, and sea salt, looking more
and more like architectures designed by Gaudì under the influence
of hallucinogens. (La forma dell’acqua [The Shape of Water, pp. 2-4]
The beginning of Shape of water with the description of “La Mannara”,
the “Pasture”, the ruins of high walls built around a disused chemical plant on
a once beautiful stretch of coastline is a good example of how the implied
author establishes a socio critical narrative discourse as a background to the
discovery of the body of a politician. The use of the extended “climatic”
metaphor is particularly effective in
1) Emanating a feeling of heaviness and suffocation;
2) Describing both the emptiness of initiatives by vain local and continental politicians and administrators;
3) The devastating effects they have on the land and its inhabitants.
The ironic style of the description and narration of event that have lead
to the present day squalor of the “Pasture” does not diminish the effect of the
judging voice we hear as readers.
As most detective fiction, the Montalbano’s stories are entertaining, yet,
they are by no means escapist, as shown in the above quotation. On the contrary, they engage readers’ worldwide in a decolonizing social political discourse.
As hybrid texts, written in a clever hybrid mixture of Italian, Sicilian dialect
and a variety of registers to convey realistic dialogue, and blending different
genres, Camilleri’s texts are deeply “dialogic” internally and externally at different levels, stylistic, narrative and descriptive. The landscape descriptions and
plots are often intermingled with reflections about Sicily and local and global
crimes, past and present. The result is a representation of Sicily as a location
where different civilizations have met and left an interlaced archaeological,
artistic and linguistic landscape as well as a land ravaged by injustice and oppression, perennially colonized:
[Yet we have been a colony for 2500 years]
Tomasi di Lampedusa, The Leopard.
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supra a Sicilia e i Siciliani e ogni vota ca a Sicilia tintau di libbirarisi dî
colonizzaturi, nautra invasioni accadiu.
Pi capuvolgiri sta immagini dâ Sicilia comu colonia o terra di mafia,
Camilleri usa vari stratiggii ô liveddu di stili, narrativa e discursu. Comu
minziunammu prima, iddu riafferma l’identità lucali e reggionali usannu u
dialettu sicilianu ntê so testi. Parrannu dâ trama i crimini non sunu sulu atti di
mafiusi lucali ma spissu prisentanu cunnutazioni nazziunali, globali o pirsunali.
A cosa cchiù mpurtanti è ca u pirsunaggiu cintrali, Muntalbanu, un veru sicilianu,
è fermu ntô so attaccamentu â giustizzia e d’accussì puru i poliziotti dâ so
squatra. Nta Il giro di boa u cummissariu esprimi a so rabbia contru i cuntinentali
dû nord picchì hannu atttitudini di priggiudiziu contru a Sicilia quannu ncontra
dui dû nord ca vonnu pigghiari a liggi ntê so mani picchì nun hannu fiducia ntâ
polizia siciliana. U missaggiu ca emergi è ca si u restu di l’Italia cuntinua a
difenniri a viduta stirotipata di na Sicilia comu terra di corruzioni e comu un
problemi senza possibilità di soluzioni, iddi contribuisciunu a manteniri l’isula
colonizzata, nun di invasori ma dâ criminalità organizzata. Stu missaggiu pari
ca fu cugghiutu e accittatu di tanti litturi in Italia e i rumanzi di Muntalbanu
hannu canciatu l’immagini stiriotipica dâ Sicilia e di Siciliani fora di l’isula, mentri
centu anni di unità non hnnu pututu canciari u sensu di sfiducia tra i taliani
cuntinentali e i taliani siciliani.
Oltri i discrizioni di paisaggi i storii polizieschi di Camilleri cunteninu
testi dettagliati di cibu, principalmenti attraversu a so relazioni câ cucina tipica
siciliana rapprisintata di pietanzi manciati ntê tratturii o a so casa vicinu u beddu
mari siculu. U cibu e a nutrizioni currispunninu a li cuncezioni mentali e culturali
dâ Sicilia di Camilleri, na Sicilia ricca di tradizioni ca nun duvissi cunfurmarisi
chî pressioni di divintari comu a l’autri, mantinennu boni abitudini e tradizioni.
U manciari spissu è assuciatu cu usanzi lucali e identificatu cu termini siciliani.
Arba Sicula XXIX
50
On one hand, colonizers have contributed to enrich Sicilian culture and
mythology as exemplified in Il cane di terracotta [The terracotta dog] when
Montalbano finds the remains of two corpses holding hands, in appearance
two lovers guarded by a terracotta dog, behind a wall in a cave used by Mafiosi
criminals to hide their merchandise. On the other, the incessant colonization
has deeply affected Sicily and Sicilians and every time Sicily began the process
of decolonization, another invasion occurred.
To overturn this permanent image of Sicily as either a colony or the
land of the Mafia, Camilleri uses various strategies, at the stylistic, narrative
and discourse level. As already mentioned, he reaffirms local and regional identity
by using Sicilian dialect in his writings. At the plot level, the crimes are not just
local or Mafia crimes but often acquire state, global or personal connotations.
Most importantly, the central character, Montalbano, a Sicilian through and
through, is unshakable in his ethical and moral commitment to justice, and so
is the whole police squad. In Il giro di boa [Turning point], the “commissario”
expresses his anger at Northerners’ biased attitudes towards Sicily when he is
confronted by two travelers who want to take the law into their own hands
because they do not trust Sicilian police. The emerging message is that, if the
rest of Italy continues to uphold the stereotyped view of Sicily as a pervasively
corrupt land and an unsolvable problem, they also contribute to keep Sicily
colonized, not by invaders, but by organized crime. This message seems to
have got though to many readers, in Italy and beyond and the Montalbano’s
novels have succeeded in changing the stereotypical image of Sicily and Sicilians abroad and Italy, where more than a century of Unification had not changed
reciprocal mistrust between “continental” Italians and Sicilian Italians.
Besides landscape descriptions, Camilleri’s detective stories
abound in detailed accounts of food, mainly though Montalbano’s relationship with traditional Sicilian fare eaten, or devoured, at authentic Trattorias or
at his home by the beautiful Sicilian sea. Food and nourishment (Palumbo)
corresponds to Camilleri’s mental and cultural conception of Sicily – a Sicily
with its rich traditions that should not conform or give in to external homologizing pressures and retain good habits and traditions. Food is often associated
with local customs and referred to often with Sicilian terms. Through the
inspector’s relationship with nourishment - what and how he eats - the reader
experiences the links between certain foods and folk traditions. When food is
associated with Montalbano’s nostalgia for his childhood and for disappeared
folk traditions the tone and narrative style are elegiac and somber:
‘Want a little corn bread? I took it out of the oven less than an hour ago. Shall
I prepare you some? Without waiting for an answer, she [Franca – his colleague
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Attraversu chiddu ca mancia l’ispitturi u litturi capisci i liami tra certi piatti chî
tradizioni dâ genti. Quannu u cibu è assuciatu câ nustalgia di l’infanzia e pi
tradizioni scumparsi u tonu e u stili narrativu diventanu elegiachi e serii:
“Voi nanticchia di pani di frummentu? U niscìu dû furnu mancu
n’ura fa. Ti lu priparu iu? Senza aspittari pâ risposta idda tagghiau
du feddi di nu pani, li cunzau cu l’ogghiu, sali e spezzi niuru,
iuncennucci na fedda di furmaggiu picurinu, i misi assemi pi furmari
un sandwich e ci lu pruìu. Mantalbanu nisciu fora, s’assittau supra
nu bancu a latu dâ porta e ô primu muzzicuni si sintiu ringiuvaniri
di quarant’anni. Avia turnatu a siri picciriddu di novu. Chistu era u
pani ca so nanna ci priparava. Era fattu pi manciari ô suli, senza
pinsari a nenti, in armunia cû so corpu a terra e u ciauru di l’erba.”
(La voce del violino, pp121-2)
E’ comu si Camilleri, attraversu u so protagonista, lamintassi a morti dâ
Sicilia di la so infanzia e la facissi viviri di novu attraversu u munnu dâ littiratura.
Accussì comu u cibu e l’oceanu circunnanu a so cuntintizza di picciriddu, a so fuga
ntô stadiu di pre adultu nta na Sicilia ca scumpari, un paradisu pirdutu, u mari e u
cibu ci dannu nutricamentu e viguri mentri ci pirmettunu na valvula di sicurezza e
na funtana di nova energia. Manciari è spissu na forma di piaciri sulitariu chi lu
porta ê tempi dâ so infanzia. L’armunia pari possibili ntô munnu naturali sulu
quannu i profumi e i sapuri risbigghianu sintimenti di benessiri ca parianu pirduti
pi sempri, quannu antichi usanzi e riti si rinnovanu attraversu a mimoria:
Ntô friguriferu Muntalbanu truvau un piattu di pasta fridda chî
pumadoru, balilicò e alivi niuri passaluna ca facevanu nu ciauru c’avissi
pututu risbigghiari i morti e un secunnu piattu di anciovi frischi câ
cipudda e acitu. Muntalbanu si fidava completamenti di l’immaginazioni
culinaria di Adelina, a signura ca vineva na vota ô jornu pi daricci versu.
Era matri di du figghi dilinquenti unu dî quali era in galera, misu dda
dintra di Muntalbanu. E puru oggi non fu dilusu. Ogni vota ca era
prontu ad apriri u friguriferu o u furnu sinteva dda stissa trepidazioni
ca sinteva quannu era picciriddu quannu ô dui di nuvemmiri circava u
cannistru unni so patri avia lassatu i rigali duranti a notti—na celebrazioni
ormai pirduta, scancillata di dda banalità di mentiri i riali sutta l’alburu
di Natali, scancillata comu a mimoria di li stissi morti [...] Pigghiau i du
piatta, na buttigghia di vinu e nanticchia di pani e s’assittau ô tavulu,
addumau a televisioni e cuminciau a manciari. Ci piaceva assai manciari
sulu assapurannu ogni mmuccuni in silenziu. (Il cane di terracotta, p44)
Arba Sicula XXIX
52
Mimi’s sister] cut two slices from a loaf, dressed them in olive oil, salt and black
pepper, adding a slice of pecorino cheese, put this all together to form a sandwich,
and handed it to him. Montalbano went outside, sat down on a bench next to
the door, and, at the first bite, felt forty years younger. He was a little kid again.
This was bread the way his grandmother used to make it for him. It was meant
to be eaten in the sun, while thinking of nothing being in harmony with one’s
body, the earth, and the smell of grass (The Voice of the Violin, pp. 12122).
It is as if Camilleri him self was mourning through his protagonist the
disappearance of the Sicily of his childhood and makes it comes alive again
through the literary word and world. As food and ocean enclose his “picciriddu”
[child] contentment, his escape into the preadult stage, in a disappearing Sicily,
a paradise lost, both sea and food are nourishing and invigorating as they provide at once a safety valve and reenergizing force. Food is often experienced as
an escape into a solitary pleasure which takes him back to his childhood although at times the inspector. Harmony seems only possible within the natural world, when smells and tastes awaken feelings of well-being that seemed
lost forever as ancient customs and rites are revived through memory:
In the refrigerator Montalbano found a plate of cold pasta with tomatoes, basil
and black “pussuluna” olives that gave off an aroma to wake the dead, and as
second course of fresh anchovies with onions and vinegar. Montalbano was in
the habit of trusting entirely in the simple but zestful culinary imagination of
Adelina, the housekeeper who came once a day to see to his needs, a mother of
two irremediably delinquent sons, one of whom was in jai , put there by M.
And this day, too, she did not disappoint him. Every time he was about to open
the oven or fridge, he felt the same trepidation he used to feel as a little boy when,
on the second of November, he would look for the wicker basket in which the
dead had left their gifts during the night – a celebration now lost, obliterated by
the banality of presents under the Christmas tree, obliterated like the memory
of the dead themselves. […]. He took his two courses, a bottle of wine and
some bread to the table, turned on the television and sat down to dinner. He
loved to eat alone, relishing every bite in silence. (The Terracotta Dog, pp. 4344).
In conclusion, old and new are present at different levels: plot;
Montalbano’s attitudes towards old fare accompanied by his modern habit of
eating alone in front of the television. Old, new, as shown in the landscape
descriptions, and narrative context, are not always in contrast but coexisting
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Pi cuncludiri u vecchiu e u novu sunu prisenti a diversi liveddi:
l’atteggiamentu versu antichi modi e pietanzi è accumpagnatu di l’abitudini
muderna di manciari sulu davanti a televisioni. Vecchiu e novu, come hama
vistu ntê discrizioni dû paisaggiu e ntô cuntestu narrativu, nun sunu sempri in
cuntrastu l’unu ccû l’autru ma coesistunu l’unu a latu di l’autru. “Discrivi u to
villaggiu e discrivi u munnu.” Camilleri cu li rumanzi di Muntalbanu, cû so stili
sardonicu, e cû so sensu di umorismu rinesci a ritrarri na Sicilia di tanti facci
comu u cori dû Miditiraniu e spinci i litturi a riflettiri di cchiù.
Bibliografia
• La forma dell’acqua (1994) ; Il cane di terracotta (1996) ; La voce del
violino (1997); La mossa del cavallo (1999); L’odore della notte (2001) ; Il
giro di boa (2003).
• Carroli, P. (2006). Lunch with Montalbano: Intersections between
food and crime in Camilleri’s detective stories. Manila: Fully Booked,
Dante Alighieri Manila, Embassy of Italy.
• Palumbo, O. (2005). Camilleri e il “rifocillo” ovvero Cibi e risate
nella narrativa di Andrea Camilleri. In Cirillo, S. Cit. [quoted above].
• www.Andrea.Camilleri.htm
• www.vigata.org
Arba Sicula XXIX
54
side by side. “Describe your village and you will describe the world”: with the
Montalbano’s novels, Camilleri, in his sardonic tone and sense of humour,
definitely succeeds in depicting the multifaceted Sicily as the heart of the Mediterranean, and to spur the reader onto further reflection.
REFERENCES
• La forma dell’acqua (1994) [The shape of water]; Il cane di terracotta
(1996) [The terracotta dog]; La voce del violino (1997) [The voice of the
violin]; La mossa del cavallo (1999); L’odore della notte (2001) [The scent
of the night]; Il giro di boa (2003) [Rounding the Mark].
• Carroli, P. (2006). Lunch with Montalbano: Intersections between
food and crime in Camilleri’s detective stories. Manila: Fully Booked,
Dante Alighieri Manila, Embassy of Italy.
• Palumbo, O. (2005). Camilleri e il “rifocillo” ovvero Cibi e risate
nella narrativa di Andrea Camilleri. In Cirillo, S. Cit. [quoted above].
• www.Andrea.Camilleri.htm
• www.vigata.org
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A Storia ca fa tic tac
(Pubblicamu n’articulu mannatuni di Vita Alaimo supra a storia di membri
dâ famigghia Brucia, tutti vecchi soci di Arba Sicula.)
(Pubblicatu pi curtisia di Watch Time)
traduzioni in sicilianu di Gaetano Cipolla
Quann Jim Brucia avia deci anni, ntô 1960, so ziu Ben ci mustrau un
riroggiu.Era unu di ddi cristiani ca quannu î canuscivi facia subbitu simpatia,”
dici Jim Brucia oggi. “Purtava nu riroggiu ca subbitu mi piaciu quannu û visti.
Era quacchi cosa di spittaculari: un cronografu d’oru e comu a tutti i carusi
l’ammiraiu cu l’occhi aperti.” Dopu che Ben
Ben Brucia
Brucia cci spiegau comu funzionava iu ntôn
casciolu di na cridenza e nisciu un riroggiu
diffirenti. “Chi ti nni pari di chistu?” So niputi
ricorda ca era u chiù granni riroggiu c’avia
mai vistu. A cassa era di 47 mm. So ziu cci
dissi cha era un riroggiu pi iri sutt’acqua
ch’iddu avia ricivutu duranti a guerra e si misi
d’accordu cu so niputi ca quannu iddu vineva
a visitari sû puteva mettiri. Jim sû misi tanti
voti duranti a so carusanza.
Dopu che Ben Brucia muriu ntô 1972,
i so figghi si ricurdaru di Jim ca purtava u
riroggiu ogni vota ca vineva e ci lu rigalaru pi
ricordu di so ziu. “Non puteva certamenti
rifiutarlu, era na cosa magnifica,” dici Jim
Brucia. “Non sapeva chi nni fari però e u
riroggiu iu d’un casciolu a nautru e ristau dda
dintra nautri 30 anni.”
U riroggiu probabilmenti avissi ristatu
nta ddu casciolu ancora assai tempu si nun
fussi intirvinutu u distinu—ca appi la forma
insolita di Sylvester Stallone. Mentri girava u
film Daywatch in Italia ntô 1995 Stallone visti
u riroggiu Panerai Luminor ntôn nigozziu di
giuielli di Roma. Iddu si l’accattau pi purtarlu
ntô film e cci piaciu tantu ca cummissiunau a
cumpagnia ca l’avia fattu, Officine Panerai di
Arba Sicula XXIX
56
Ticking History
(We reprint a story sent by Vita Alaimo about the exploit of member of
the Brucia family, who have been longstanding members of Arba Sicula)
(Courtesy of Watch Time)
In the early 1960, when Jim Brucia was 10 years old, his Uncle Ben
showed him a watch. “He was one of those guys you meet who everybody
likes,” says Brucia today. “He was wearing a watch that caught my eye-something flashy. It was a gold chronograph and I admired it like a typical kid
would.” After showing the boy the chronograph’s functions, Ben Brucia went
to his dresser and pulled out a different watch, asking, “What do you think of
this?” His nephew recalls, “I
was pretty stunned, if nothing else, at the size of the
thing.” With a 47-mm case, it
was easily the largest wristwatch he had ever seen. His
uncle said it was a divers’
watch he’d gotten in the war
and struck a deal with the
youngster: whenever Jim
came to visit, be could wear
it, which he did many times
throughout his childhood.
After Ben Brucia died
in 1972, his children remembered little Jim wearing the
big watch around their house
and offered it to him as a
memento. “I certainly didn’t
turn it down; it was really kind
of great,” says Jim Brucia. But he didn’t know quite what to do with it. “It
went from his dresser drawer to my dresser drawer and sat there for another
30 years.”
The big watch might have continued to languish in Brucia’s drawer had
not fate - in the unlikely form of actor Sylvester Stallone - intervened. While
shooting the film Daylight in Italy in 1995, Stallone spotted a Panerai Luminor
watch in a Rome jewelry store. He bought it to wear in the film and liked it so
much that he commissioned its maker, Officine Panerai of Florence, to create
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Arba Sicula XXIX
Firenzi, a farinni na quantità limitata câ so firma ntagghiata darreri dâ cassa. U
mudellu fu chiamatu Slytech e Stallone ci lu rigalau ê so amici e atturi famusi
comu a Arnold Schwarzenegger (ora guvirnaturi dâ California). “Quannu û
visti capiu subbitu ca era nu riroggiu fora di l’ordinariu,” dissi Stallone ntô
2002. U so aprezzamentu pi stu riroggiu fici nasciri intiressi pî riroggia grossi
in generali e pi l’Officine Panerai in modu particulari. A cumpagnia avia
cuminciatu a so campagna
Brucia’s Family photos
pi attirari i consumaturi ntô
1993.
Purtata all’avanguardia di la moda, li
Officini Panerai foru
accattati dû Gruppu
Vendome (ora Richemont) ntô 1997 e
cuminciaru a aumintari a
produzioni dî riroggia pi
veniri ncontru ô bisognu in
aumentu. Mentri taliava u
giurnali unni c’era un
supplementu pî riroggia,
Jim Brucia visti na pagina
sana di pubblicità pû
riroggiu di so ziu. “Nun era
esattamenti comu u me
riroggiu, ma era na edizioni
cummemorativa dû me
riroggiu,” ricorda Jim
Brucia. “M’incuriusiu e
vistu ca c’era un numeru di
telefunu virdi, chiamaiu. U
so intiressi era di vinniri riroggia e mi desiru u nnomu di un nigozianti di Fort
Lee. (New Jersey). Iddu circau di vinnirimi nu riroggiu e ci appi a diri di
salvarisi u ciatu picchì io cridiva di aviri unu di l’originali. Sapia ca era origginali
picchì sapia unni avia statu pi l’ultimi 60 anni.” U nigozianti cci desi u numiru
da cumpagnia Panerai dû Nord America a New York. L’ufficiu di New York
era na rappresentanza dû gruppu Richemont e nun pottiru autentificari u riroggiu.
Anzi ci avianu dittu ca u riroggiu era farsu. A stu puntu, Brucia cuminciau a
studiari pi vidiri di capiri sta storia mistiriusa dû riroggiu. Cuminciau a studiari
a parti ca so ziu avia fattu duranti a guerra, parrannu chî parenti e taliannu i so
Arba Sicula XXIX
58
a limited run with his signature engraved on the back of
the case. This model was
called the Slytech, and Stallone
gave them as gifts co celebrity friends like fellow screen
star (now California governor) Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I immediately felt when I saw
the watch that it had star
power,” Stallone said in 2002.
His appreciation of the timepiece sparked interest in large
watches in general and in
Officine Panerai in particular.
The brand had only begun targeting the consumer market
The watch with its original band.
in 1993.
Suddenly thrust to the forefront of fashion, Officine Panerai was purchased by the Vendome (now Richemont) Group in 1997 and began to expand its production to meet the increased demand. In 2003 Jim Brucia was
paging through a watch supplement in the newspaper when he saw a full-page
advertisement for his uncle’s watch. “Not like my watch, but a commemorative edition of exactly my watch,” he recalls. “I was intrigued. There was a tollfree number to call, and of course the crux of the ad was to sell watches, so
they hooked me up with a local retailer in Fort Lee [New Jersey]. He was
doing his best to sell me a watch and I had to throttle him back a bit. I basically
told him, ‘I think I have one of the originals because I know where it’s been
for the last 60 years.’” The retailer gave him the number of Panerai North
America in New York. Primarily a marketing arm of Richemont, the New
York office was unable to authenticate the watch-in fact, Brucia says, they
thought it was a fake. Becoming ever more interested in the mysterious history
of the watch, Brucia began to do some homework. He started researching his
uncle’s role in the war effort by talking to family members and poring over
old military records. That search would take him deep into the annals of World
War II and eventually to the offices of Officine Panerai in Florence, Italy.
By 1941 Ben Brucia had graduated from Law school and was working
in a civilian capacity for U.s. Navy intelligence. After Pearl Harbor he and his
younger brother - Jim Brucia’ father- decided to join the Navy. While his
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vecchi documenti millitari. Sta
ricerca û purtau a analizzari
l’annali dâ Secunna Guerra
Munniali e finalmenti a Firenzi
nta l’ufficiu dâ cumpagnia
Panerai.
Ben Brucia ntô 1941 avia
finutu i studi di leggi e
travagghiava comu civili pî
ser vizi sigreti dâ marina
amiricana. Dopu Pearl Harbor,
iddu e u so frati chiù
picciriddu,—u patri di Jim
Brucia—dicisiru di arrolarisi ntâ
Marina. Mentri so frati iu a
frequentari a scola di aviazioni
e dopu finiu pi pilutari
apparecchi Catalina ntô Pacificu,
a Ben cci tuccau n’occupazioni
Jim Burica wearing his Panerai Radiomir
chiù vicinu a casa, ma chiù
sigreta.
Nta l’anni 1940 u portu di Nova York era ntê mani dâ mafia siciliana e u
so capu Charles “Lucky” Luciano. Cu li Stati Uniti in guerra contru l’Italia
fascista, li Italu-miricani eranu cuntrullati dû dipartimentu di guerra pi vidiri
unni eranu i so simpatii. Ben Brucia, un nativu di Brooklyn ca parrava bonu
l’italianu avia i requisiti ideali pi infiltrari u portu cuntrullatu dâ mafia. “Iddu
dissi a so famigghia ca si pi casu lu vidissiru ntâ strata non duvevanu salutarlu a
menu ca iddu non si fussi avvicinatu,” dici Jim Brucia. “Iddi non seppiru mai
picchì e iddu nun ci û dissi mai.” I Miricani seppiru ca i mafiusi eranu antifascista
picchì u dittaturi Benitu Mussolini avia trattatu i mafiosi in manera dura ntâ
Sicilia. Lucky Luciano si truvava nta na prigiuni ntô nord dû Statu di New
York ma avia fattu n’accordu sigretu cu lu guvernu di li S.U.: in cangiu dû so
aiutu contru u sabotaggiu dû portu di Nova York pi parti dî fascisti e pi
truvaricci cuntatti favurevuli pi iddi ntâ Sicilia, Lucianu puteva opirari i so ntrallazzi
mafiusi di dintra la prigiuni. “I sirvizi sigreti si misiru d’accordu câ mafia pi
mutivi di sicurezza e pi vidiri chi putevanu guadagnari ntô futuru,” Brucia dici.
“Chiddu ca ci purtaru ntô futuru fu mpurtantissimu. Un annu dopu pripararunu
l’invasioni dâ Sicilia. Tutti i cuntatti ca avia fattu me ziu ntô portu cu i mafiusi e
i so famigghi siciliani foru utili quannu i sirvizi sigreti si assittaru pi priparari
Arba Sicula XXIX
60
brother went to flight school and ended up flying PBY Catalinas in the Pacific,
Ben found a more secretive assignment closer to home.
The New York docks in the 1940s were essentialy run by the Sicilian
mob and its capo, Charles “Lucky” Luciano. With the United States at War
with fascist Italy, the sympathies of Italian-Americans came under scrutiny by
the war Department. Ben Brucia - a Brooklyn native who spoke fluent Italian
- had the ideal background to infiltrate the mafia-controlled New York docks.
“He told the members of his family that if they bumped into him on the
street they were not to talk to him unless he approached them first,” says Jim
Brucia. “They never, quite frankly. knew why because he didn’t tell them why.”
The Americans learned from undercover agents like Ben Brucia that the Mafiosi were actually quite anti-fascist, as Italian dictator Benito Mussolini had
come down hard on the mob in Sicily. Lucky Luciano himself was in an
upstate New York prison. but was reportedly offered a secret deal by the U.S.
government: in return for his help in preventing Axis sabotage of American
ports and for providing sympathetic contacts in Sicily, Luciano would be permitted to run his criminal organization from Jail. “Intelligence decided to get
into bed with Luciano’s mob for security reasons and to see what it could
possibly bring in the future,” Brucia says. “What it brought in the future was
quire a bit. A year later the Sicily invasion was concocted. All these contacts that
my uncle made on the docks and with his families back in the old country
came in handy when the Navy intelligence group had to lay the groundwork
for the invasion of Sicily. So his next posting was to North Africa.”
IN NORTH AFRICA Ben Brucia joined a commando unit that was
sent to Sicily to ease the path of the upcoming invasion, codename “Operation: Husky.” On the night of July 9, 1943, the US Seventh Army under General George Patton landed on the southwest coast of Sicily while General
Bernard Montgomery’s British Eighth Army landed further to the east. With
the ground prepared in part by commando units like Brucia’s, Patton met little
resistance in his two-week sweep to Palermo, and by .July 24 the Seventh
Army controlled the entire western half of the island. Mussolini’s domestic
opponents, dispirited by the fall of Palermo, ousted him from power on July
25 and in his stead installed Marshal Pietro Badoglio, who declared, “the war
continues at the side of our Germanic ally.” In fact, Badoglio was already
secretly negotiating with the Allies and signed an armistice on September 3,1943.
Under the terms of the armistice, which was announced by the Allies on
September 8, the ships of the Royal Italian Navy (Regia Marina) were to sail to
Allied ports, effectively changing sides against the Germans.
With the Italian government giving up the fight, the Germans took control of the defense of the Italian mainland. The American Fifth Army landed
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l’invasioni dâ Sicilia. Picchissu u so novu postu di travagghiu fu ntô Nord
Africa.”
Ntô Nord Africa Ben Brucia fici parti di nu gruppu di surdati ca fu
mannatu ntâ Sicilia pi renniri chiù facili l’invasioni imminenti chiamata
“Operazioni Husky.” U 9 lugliu dû 1943, di notti, a Settima Armata cumannata
dû Generali Patton sbarcau ntâ costa sud-occidintali dâ Sicilia, mentri l’Ottava
Armata Nglisi sutta u Maresciallu Bernard Montgomery sbarcau chiù a est.
Patton truvau poca risistenza grazzii ê gruppi commando comu a chiddu di
Brucia e ntâ du simani ntrasiu a Palermu. Entru u 24 di lugliu a Settima Armata
cuntrullava tutta la parti occidintali di l’isula. I sustinituri di Mussolini, scuraggiati
dâ perdita di Palermu, u cacciarunu dû putiri u 25 di lugliu e misiru ô so postu
u maresciallu Petru Badogliu ca dichiarau: “A guerra continua a latu dî nostri
alliati tedeschi.” Ma in verità, Badogliu stava nigoziannu cu l’Alliati e firmau
l’armistiziu u 3 di sittembri 1943. Secunnu i reguli di l’armistiziu annunziatu l’8
sittembri, i navi dâ Marina Militari taliana avianu a partiri versu porti cuntrullati
di l’Alliati, schierannusi d’accussì contru i tedeschi.
Quannu i taliani smisiru di cummattiri, i tedeschi pigghiaru u cuntrollu pâ
difisa dâ penisula taliana. A quinta Armata miricana sbarcau a Salernu a 30
chilomitri a sud di Napuli, u 9 sittembri, ma truvau forti risistenza. Vistu ca nun
putevanu movirisi di unni eranu, i Miricani circarunu di oltripassari i Tedeschi
facennu nu sbarcu anfibbiu a Anziu, a 33 chilometri a sud di Roma, u 22
gennaiu, 1944. Dopu aviri stabilutu a so pusizioni a Anziu, Ben Brucia e na
cumpagnia di italu-miricani foru mannati darreri i linii dî nimici pi fari cuntatti
cu l’omini dâ risistenza sigreta a Roma.U jornu dopu ca l’alliati occuparunu
Roma, u 4 giugnu 1944, u tinenti di primu gradu Benedict brucia riciviu na
midagghia di bronzu ô valuri militari dî manu du cumannanti militari e civili di
Roma, generali Roberto encivenga. A citazioni dici: “Duranti l’assaltu di Anziu,
u tinenti Benedict Brucia sutta un continuu bummardamentu tedescu di terra e
di l’aria diriggiu e participau a missioni diretti a fari cuntatti chî patriotti taliani
pi otteniri nfurmazioni supra a situazioni interna di Roma. Dannu prova di
eccezziunali curaggiu e noncuranza pi li piriculi, annannu oltri a misura comuni
mposta di l’bbligu, u tinenti Brucia ntrasiu a Roma chî primi truppi, facennu
tuttu u possibili pi limitari u sabotaggiu, ordinannu e mittennu guardii militari a
posti e pirsuni mpurtanti e truvannu e salvannu documenti d’impurtanza
strategica.” Passau u restu dâ guerra a Roma travagghiannu chî militari taliani.
Brucia riciviu ddu riroggiu ca ora è ntê mani di so niputi dî so cumpagni
taliani. Ntô 1936, a Regia Marina taliana avia cummissiunatu a l’officini Panerai
di criari na linia di riroggia luminusi subacquei ca i so marinara putevanu usari
intâ situazioni estremi. U risultatu fu u riroggiu Panerai Radiomir, accussì chiamatu
pi l’usu di virnici luminusa ca cunsisteva di solfatu di zincu, bromidu di radiu e
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at Salerno, 30 miles southeast of Naples, on September 9 and met stiff resistance. Ultimately becoming bogged down in Southern Italy, the Allies tried to
outflank German defenses with an amphibian landing on January 22,1944 at
Anzio, 33 miles south of Rome. After the Americans established a beachhead
at Anzio, Ben Brucia and a joint Italian-American commando group were sent
behind enemy lines to establish contact with the underground resistance in
Rome. A day after the Allies finally occupied Rome on June 4, 1944, Lieutenant (junior Grade) Benedict Brucia was officially awarded the Bronze Medal
for Military Valor in the field by the Civil and Military Commander of the
Rome War Zone. Gen. Roberto Bencivenga. The citation read: “During the
siege of Anzio. Lt. Benedict Brucia. under conrinuous bombardment and
German air attack, directed and participated in missions of naval reconnaissance. making contact with Italian patriots to obtain information about the
internal situation of Rome. Giving proof of exceptional courage and disregard of danger, much beyond the common measure imposed by obligation,
Lt. Brucia entered into Rome with the first troops, doing his utmost to block
sabotage, ordering and posting military guards to safeguard important people
... and recovering and saving strategic documents.” He spent the remainder of
the war in Rome working with the Italian military.
Ben Brucia with members of an Italian -American commando in 1944aiding the underground resistance
behind enemy lines.
It was from his Italian commando comrades that Brucia received the
watch now in his nephew’s possession. In 936 the Regia Marina-the Iralian
Royal Navy-had commissioned Officine Panerai to create a line of luminous
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mesothorium. A produzioni cuminciau ntô 1938. U riroggiu avia na cassa di
47 mm. a forma di cuscinu. Avia na curuna ca s’invitava e u meccanismu a
corda manuali fattu di Rolex. Avia a cinghia di cuoiu chiù longa dû normali pi
putirilu purtari supra u vistitu di gomma pi ghiri sutt’acqua. Nni ficiru non chiù
di 300 esemplari.
Jim Brucia ora era cunvintu ca iddu avia ntê so mani unu di sti riroggia
sempri chiù rari e circau di aviri l’autentificazioni ca l’ufficiu di Panerai di Nova
York non avia potutu fari. Brucia avia sicutatu a fari u pilota comu a so patri e
pilutava apparecchi supra a rotta transatlantica. Iu a Milanu unni Panerai avia a
sedi principali e si prisintau assemi ô so primu ufficiali ô centru di servizi
Panerai. “L’impiegati dû centru di servizi foru fantastichi. Foru assai sirvizievuli
e entusiasti,” dici Brucia. Mentri aspittava darreri a vitrina “comu un patri
c’aspetta a nascita d’un figghiu,” i tecnici di Panerai apreru a cassa dû rirogghiu
e vittiru u meccanismu di Rolex. U capu tecnicu ci fici un signali a Jim ca
significava vittoria. U riroggiu di so ziu era veramenti un Panerai Radiomir
origginali. Dirimpettu ntô nigoziu di vinnita u diritturi dumannau a Brucia cu
cci l’avia datu. Dopu c’avia sintutu tutta a storia —senza minziunari a midagghia
di bronzu pû valuri militari e u fattu ca Benedict Brucia avia ricivitu u cavaleratu
dû re Umbertu II e avia puru ricivutu l’Ordini e a Curuna d’Italia e l’Ordini dî
Santi Mauriziu e Lazzaru—ci uffriu di mannari u riroggiu a Ginevra pi rimettirlu
a novu completamenti. I tecnici di Ginevra truvaru ca u riroggiu ammatula
avissi statu ntôn casciolu pi 60 anni, funziunava pirfettamenti.
Li officini Panerai vinnunu riproduzioni dî so riroggia storichi pi migghiara
di dollari. Quantu vali u riroggiu di Brucia? Na indicazioni nni veni di na asta di
cosi antichi tinuta ntô sittembri dû 2006. Nu riroggiu Radiomir circa 1940 fu
vinnutu pi $59.000. Brucia dici ca doppu ca u so Panerai fu ristauratu si l’ha
misu sulu na para di voti. “Quannu seppi quantu valia mi dissi: Nun lu portu
chiù ora.”
Pi Jim Brucia l’origini dû riroggiu avi un valuri inestimabili. “Me ziu nun
parrau mai di sti cosi,” iddu dici. “Sti omini (ntâ guerra) ficiru cosi straordinari,
ma non ni parraru mai.” Putiri mettiri assemi a storia di so ziu ha statu a so
soddisfazioni. “Una dî raggiuni è ca accussì potti documintari a storia pi mmia
e pâ me famigghia,” dici. Chiù chi n’anticu riroggiu ca diventa sempri chiù
raru, u riroggiu Panerai Radiomir di Jim Brucia parra dû valuri di so ziu.
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64
underwater watches that its divers could rely on in extreme conditions. The
result was the Panerai Radiomir, named for its use of a special luminous paint
consisting of zinc sulphide, radium bromide and mesothorium. Production
began in 1938. The watch featured a 47-mmm cushion-shaped case With a
screw-down crown and a hand-wound mechanical movement supplied by
Rolex. It came with an extra-long oiled-leather strap that could be worn over
a diving suit. No more than 300 were ever made.
Jim Brucia was now convinced that he was in possession of one of
these exceedingly rare watches, and sought the authentication that Panerai’s
New York office had been unable to offer. Brucia had followed in his father’s
footsteps and was working as a long-haul commercial airline pilot on transatlantic routes. He arranged to fly t0 Milan, where Panerai was now headquartered, and along with his first officer dropped in at The Panerai service center.
“It was our own little ‘Antiques Roadshow going on there,” recalls Brucia.
“The people in the service center were wonderful. They were very, very accommodating and pretty excited.” As he waited outside the glass “like an
expectant father,” the Panerai technicians opened the watch’s case to reveal its
Rolex movement. The lead technician gave Brucia the thumbs up. His uncle’s
watch was indeed an original Panerai Radiomir. Across the streer at the watchmakers’ offices, Panerai’s marketing director asked Brucia where he had gotten it. After hearing the whole story - apart from his Bronze Medal of Valor,
Benedict Brucia was also twice knighted by King Umberto II and was conferred both the Order of the Crown of Italy and the Order of Saints Maurice
and Lazarus - he offered to send the watch to Geneva to be thoroughly refurbished. The technicians in Geneva discovered that the watch kept perfect time
despite its having never been serviced in 60 years.
Officine Panerai sells reproductions of its historic watches for thousands
of dollars. Just what his watch is worth. Brucia is not sure. A clue comes from
a September 2006 Antiquorum auction, where an original Radiomir circa 1940
sold for $59,000. Brucia says After Panerai restored the watch I.I’ve only worn
it once or twice. When I got an idea of its value. I said, ‘I’m not going to wear
this anymore. ‘“
To Jim Brucia, the watch’s origins make its value incalculable. “My uncle
didn’t talk about this stuff,” he says. “These guvs (in the war) ... did amazing
things, but they didn’t talk about it.” Piecing together his uncle’s history has
been a treat for him. “One of the reasons I [got into this] is so that I would
have a record of it and my family would have a record of it,” he says. More
than just a vanishingly rare antique watch, .Jim Brucia’s Panerai Radiomir carries the history of his uncle’s valor.
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Santa Eustochia Smiralda
Na Clarissa Missinisa
Traduzioni di Rosa Gazzarra Siciliano
Nta la cità di Missina,intra l’antica Chiesa munumintali dû Munasteru di
Muntivirgini, nta via 24 Maggiu, si trova espostu ‘u Corpu di Santa Eustochia
Smiralda.
Pi nu veru miraculu dû Signuri, iddu ristau perfettu, pi nenti putrafattu
ancora doppu cincu seculi dâ morti: s’apprisenta scuru scuru a causa dû tempu
chi passau; ‘a so manu destra havi u jitu anulari e u mignulu ghicati, accussì
dugna l’impressioni che binidici sempri e di sta manera vigghia supra dâ cità e
supr’o gloriusu Munasteru ch’idda stissa criò.
Santa Eustochia Calafatu, di ricca e nobili famigghia missinisa, nasciu ntô
villaggiu ‘i l’Annunziata, u 25 marzu 1434, nta na misira manciatura, a
rassumigghianza di nostru Signuri e di San Franciscu d’Assisi.
Tutt’a so vita, accuminciata ‘nta na cugnintura tantu strana e speciali, è nu
straurdinariu ‘ntricciu di cummuventi e rari casi, signatu e illuminatu di miraculi
e manifestazioni purtintusi ansin’a lu So gluriusu trapassu.
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Saint Eustochia Smeralda
A Poor Clare from Messina
The Body of Saint Eustochia is exposed to public veneration in the
ancient monumental church of the Monastery of Montevergine in Messina, in
via 24 Maggio.
After 5 centuries, it has turned brown but by a miracle remains incorrupt, with the fingers of the right hand contracted in a peq1etual blessing, as if
she were watching over the city and the flourishing Monastery which she
founded.
Saint Eustochia Calafato, whose secular name was,Esmeralda, of a rich
and noble family, was born in the Village Annunziata, Messina, on March 25th
1434, in a poor manger like our Lord and Saint Francis of Assisi.
Her life was unusual from the beginning and was full of marvelous
events, miracles and prodigious mani-festations up to the moment of her
glorious death. As a child, she showed clear signs of the graces the Lord
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Ancora picciridda, mustrò cu chiari signi di quali grazii u Signuri l’avissi
acculmatu e quali avria statu la vita ch’aviria scigghiutu. Criscennu in età e
pirfizioni di vita, passava in prijera puru parti dâ notti e s’addidicava a l’opiri di
carità versu i poveri, in cui ricanuscia la figura dû nostru Signuri.
Doppu chi supirò scruntrannusi cu duri e longhi sciarri e cuntrasti, ogni
resistenza dû patri e dî frati, scunzannu tutt’i so prugetti, chi la vulivanu sistimata
cu sfrazzu ‘ntô munnu brillanti di tannu, e a cui la chiamavanu la rara biddizza,
la ricchizza e la nobiltà, rinisciu a vistirisi di l’abitu di S. Chiara ntô Munasteru di
S. Maria di Basico, unni si osservava la regula di S. Chiara, già mudirata dû
Papa Urbanu IV ntô 1264.
A Santa, ispirata dû muvimentu di riforma arrusbigghiatu in Sicilia dû
Biatu Matteu d’Agrigentu, bramava accurdari la so vita riligiusa ô spiritu di
perfetta osservanza dâ prima regula di S. Chiara e, supirannu ostacoli di ogni
sorta, potti finalmente otteniri dû Papa Callistu III, ’u 20 Ottobri 1457, nu
Documentu c’â cuncissioni di costruiri ‘nu Munasteru di primitiva osservanza,
l’unicu ‘nta tutta la Sicilia - e l’autorizzazioni dû stissu Papa di putirisi traslucari
cu tri o quattro monachi di prifirenza so.
Truvò nu vecchiu spitali, chiamatu di S. Maria Accumannata e, ricivuta
l’autorizzazioni dû stissu Papa Callistu III, cu Documentu dû 15 aprili 1458, pi
l’adattamentu dû fabbricatu a Munasteru, ci si trasfiriu cu na cumpagna non
cchiù tardu dû misi di novembri 1460. In un secunnu tempu, a causa dû tracoddu
dû tettu dâ chiesa e di ‘na parti dû fabbricatu, a Santa, assemi c’â so comunità
di 12 monachi, s’app’a trasfiriri, tra ‘u maggiu e l’austu dû 1464, nta na casa chi
cci rialò Bartolomeu Ansaluni, ntâ località unni si trova l’attuali Munasteru, e
chi, cu l’accattitu di autri abitazioni vicini, desi corpu c’u tempu a un unicu
cumplessu, chiamatu Munti dî Virgini, e dicchiù propriamente, a onuri dâ Madonna, Munti dâ Virgini.
U 20 di jinnaru 1485 a menzujomu, ’u gluriusu trapassu dâ Santa cci
chiudiu la vita tirrena tutta quanta consacrata a sirvimentu e gloria dû Signori.
Luminusu esempiu di pirfizioni riligiusa, gilusa guardiana di l’osservanza
dâ regula e specialmente dâ santa Puvirtà, specchiu d’ogni virtù praticata in
manera eroica, spiccava pû brucenti amuri a Gesu Eucaristia, arristannu pirduta
‘nta l’adurazioni dû Corpu di Cristu pi tanti e tanti uri dû jornu e dâ notti.
U Munasteru di Muntivirgini, unni ‘a rigurusa osservanza dâ regula di S.
Chiara havi statu sempri un privilegiu, e l’unicu Munasteru di clausura ristatu
ntâ Diocesi di Missina. Ntâ so Chiesa e in modu cuntinuu espostu, di jornu, a
l’adurazioni dî fidili, u SS. Sacramentu, mentri di notti l’adurazioni è senza sosta
cuntinuata dî Clarissi.
U Corpu incorruttu dâ Santa Funnatrici è viniratu di massi di fideli, chi
s’affidanu a la so raccumannazioni p’otteniri i grazii di cui hannu bisognu,
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lavished on her and of the future state of life she would embrace. As she grew
in age and in perfection, she even spent part of the night in prayer and dedicated herself to works of charity towards the poor, in whom she saw Our
Lord’s image.
Against the wishes of her father and brothers to assure her status and
pomp in the brilliant world of those days, to which nobility of birth, wealth
and rare beauty seemed to be calling her, she struggled long and hard to upset
their plans, and succeeded in receiving the habit of St. Clare in the Monastery
of Santa Maria di Basicò, which observed the Rule of St. Clare, in a mitigated
form approved by Pope Urban IV in 1264.
Inspired by the reformist movement begun in Sicily by Blessed Matteo
da Agrigento, Eustochia ardently desired to conform her religious life to the
spirit of perfect observance of of the First Rule of St. Clare and after overcoming various obstacles, she received from Callistus III, on Oct. 20, 1457, a
Papal Bull permitting her to erect a Monastery of the primitive observance the only one on the whole island - and authorizing her to transfer there with
three or four nuns of her choice.
After acquiring the old hospital of Santa Maria Accomandata, and authorized by Callistus III by the Papal Bull of April 15, 1458 to convert it into
a Monaste-ry, she transferred there with another nun no later than November,
1460. After the church roof and part of the Monastery caved in, Eustochia
and the 12 nuns of her community transferred between May and August of
1464 to a house donated by Bartolomeo Ansalone on the present Monastery
site. With the acquisition of other nearby buildings, the present Monastery
complex was formed and was called Mountain of the Virgins, or more properly, in honor of the Madonna, Mountain of the Virgin.
On Jan. 20, 1485, at noon, Eustochia concluded her earthly life spent
completely in the service of God’s glory.
A shining example of religious perfection, a jealous custodian of the
observance of the Rule, especially of holy Poverty, a mirror of every virtue
exercised in a heroic degree, she distinguished herself for ardent love of the
Eucharistic Jesus, remaining lost in adoration of the Body of Christ for many
hours of the day and night.
The Monastery of Montevergine, where the rigid observance of the
First Rule of Saint Clare has always been considered a privilege, is the only
cloistered Monastery remaining in the Diocese of Messina. The Blessed Sacrament is permanently exposed in the church during the day for adoration by
the faithful, and during the night for uninterrupted adoration by the Poor
Cares.
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mentri la putenti prutizioni dâ Santa supra dâ cità, specialmente duranti li
pubblichi svinturi, è ricanusciuta a la luci di lu suli.
Li massimi autoritari citadini, ancora oggi, difatti, cunvenunu ‘ntâ Chiesa
di Muntivirgini nta l’occasioni dî festi sullenni dû 22 d’austu d’ogni annu, pi
sudisfari un votu anticu dû Sinatu Missinisi, p’assistiri ô Divinu Sacrificiu, pi
renniri omaggiu a l’illustri Clarissa e offriri 38 libbri di cira priparata cu attenzioni
e cu arti.
A tali particolari prutizioni si rifa unu dî miraculi dâ storia dâ Santa. Era
l’annu 1615 e la cità era saccuddiata di spavintusi scossi di terremotu, tantu chi
Autoritati e populazioni supplicaru a Muntivirgini la raccumannazioni dâ Santa,
nvitannu i Soru a prijari pi tali scopu. I Clarissi livaru ‘u Corpu di l’oratoriu,
unni ‘u tinianu vigilatu, e ‘u sistimaru ‘ntô coru,’ntô so vecchiu scannu.
Mentri stavanu p’accuminzari l’orazioni dâ sira, ’u Corpu incorruttu di
quasi du’ seculi grapiu a la mpruvisa i labbra, ’ntunannu ‘u primu versu d’un
salmu di l’Ufficiu, ch’i soru, ‘ttirruti e commossi” cuntinuaru chiancennu, mentri
vidianu com’a vinirata testa s’accalava o «Gloria Patri» . Di dd’istanti i scossi di
terremotu fineru.
A la custanti prutizioni supra dâ cità si junci la So prisenza cuntinua fra li
So Figghi spirituali, chi ricivunu signi chiari e certissirni , cu cui ‘a Santa manifesta
a so vuluntà , l’avvisa supr’a chiddu ch’hav’a succediri, l’ammonisci. Pri cui si
po’ diri chi, puru doppu dâ morti, Idda cuntinua a essiri la Matri Batissa dû
Munasteru.
Idda fu cunsacrata a la fama di Santa a Missina l’11 giugnu 1988, dû Papa
Giuvanni Paulu II, a prisenza di tutt’i Viscuvi dâ Sicilia e di ‘na fudda di genti
filici,’mbriaca di gioia.
Si vuliti na copia du libru ca pubblicammu supra a Sant’Eustachia Smeralda Calafato,
scriviti Monastero Clarisse Montevergine, Via 24 Maggio, 98122 Messina, Italy. U libru
ha statu pubblcatu in cincu lingui: talianu, nglisi, spagnolu, francisi, tedescu e portughisi.
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70
The incorrupt Body of the holy Foundress is venerated by crowds of
devotees who entrust themselves to her intercession to obtain the graces they
need, while the Saint’s effective protection over the city, especially in times of
public calamity, has been given official recognition. To this very day, the. highest civic authorities annually come to the Church of Montervergine on the
Saint’s feast day, Aug. 22, to assist in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and to
render homage to the illustrious Poor Clare, by offering a 38 pound artistic
wax candle in her honor.
For, in fact, the Saint protected the city by a special miracle. In 1615,
when the city shook by terrible earthquake tremors night and day, the authorities and people hastened to Montevergine to implore the Saint’s intercession,
asking the nuns to do so likewise. Taking her Body from its place in the oratory, the nuns placed it in the choir stall where she used to sit. As they were
about to begin Evening Prayer, the Body of the Saint, incorrupt for almost
two centuries, suddenly opened its lips and intoned the first psalm of the
Divine Office. The nuns, terrified and weeping continuously, noticed that the
head of the Saint bowed at the “Glory be”. From that moment the earthquake ceased.
Besides her constant protection over the city, mention must also be made
of the Saint’s uninterrupted presence among her spiritual daughters. Often by
clear signs che manifests her will, warns them of something about to happen,
or admonishes them. Thus it can be said that, even after death, she continues
to be Abbess of this Monastery of Poor Clares.
Saint Eustochia Smeralda was canonized by Pope John Paul II, at Messina,
June 11, 1988, in the presence of the Bishops of Sicily and of an exultant
crowd of the faithful.
We have published a book on Saint Eustochia Smeralda Calafato with pictures and
short captions in 6 languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Those who want to receive a copy or more copies of the book, write to: Monastero Clarisse
Montevergine - Via 24 Maggio - 98122 Messina (Italia).
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Sicilianità e cantu di pueti
Di Raffaele Urzì
Traduzioni in sicilianu di Gaetano Cipolla
sicilianità è u me “chiovu fissu” di quannu eru carusittu. Puteva
aviri deci anni quannu a Catania appi a vintura di leggiri na frasi
scrivuta câ cauci ianca supra i macerii dâ chesa di San Tropu,
bummardata e distrutta na para di jorna prima duranti i bummardamenti dâ
secunna guerra munniali. Sta frasi mi ristau impressa ntâ menti: “U Sicilianu
avi cori e sapi pavari.”
“U sicilianu avi cori”, u sicilianu havi curaggiu, è forti e ginirusu, “e sapi
pavari”, sapi ripagari, sapi suppurtari, sapi pavari e nun sulu chî sordi, ma comu
A
voli u so curaggiu, secunnu i circostanzi. “Sapi pavari” è na frasi ca si presta a
tanti intirpritazioni. Secunnu mia voli diri principalmenti “ sapiri suppurtari”.
E’ na frasi ca putissi pariri d’origini dâ boria spagnulesca. Nta so essenza havi
un significatu prufunnu ca mustra senza possibilità di sbagghiari unu di l’aspetti
genuini dû carattiri sicilianu. A so dignità. E’ a dignità mantinuta dâ vuluntà di
ferru dispirata di risistiri davanti a tutti l’avvirsità chiù nsustinibbili. Spissu a
pacienza e a capacità di suppurtari nun sunu autru ca na silinziusa tistarda
“risistenza”, temperamentu a sungu dû carattiri ca non si cala, taci e supporta.
Dignità ntâ Sicilia voli diri non cediri ammatula si sapi di duviri perdiri e a
prima dignità dû sicilianu è chiantarisi davanti ô distinu: iddu sapi ca nenti
cancia o pò canciari ma iddu cummatti câ forza dâ dispirazioni, si opponi puru
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Sicilianity and Poets’ Songs
By Raffaele Urzi
Translated by Gaetano Cipolla
icilianity has been my fixation since childhood. I was about tn years
old when I had the chance to read a sentence written with white
lime on the ruins of the Church of Saint Euplio in Catania, which
had been destroyed a few days before by the bombing during the Second World
War. That sentence was written indelibly in my mind: “Sicilians have heart and
they know how to pay.”
“Sicilians have heart” means
Sicilians are generous, strong and
courageous; “and he knows how
to pay” means that he knows how
to pay back, how to endure, how
to pay but not only in coin but as
his heart demands according to the
circumstances. “He knows how to
pay is a sentence that lends itself
to many interpretations. In my
opinion, it means mostly “he
knows how to endure. The sentence can appear to be a demonstration of Spanish haughtiness.
On the contrary, in its essence it
has a profound meaning that
points incontrovertibly to one of
the typical aspects of the
Sicilian’s character: his dignity. It
Luigi Pirandello, Nobel Prize 1934.
is the dignity held high by the iron
and desperate will to resist against
adversities even in the most unbearable situations. Often the so-called “patience” and “the capacity for enduring” are only a silent, stubborn will to resist,
which tempers in blood the character that will not bend, keeps silent and endures. Dignity in Sicily means not giving up while knowing that failure is inevitable. The first quality of the Sicilian is to stand in front of his destiny. He
knows that nothing changes and that nothing will, yet he fights with the strength
of desperation, he fights against it even when his standing up manifests itself
as proud and tragic resignation to the inexorable destiny. It is an attitude inher-
S
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quannu u so mettirisi contru si manifesta sutta forma di tragica e firuci
rassignazioni davanti u distinu inesorabbili. E’ eredità greca e araba ô stissu
tempu. “E’ scrivutu”, si dici, “stava scrivutu”. E’ u distinu di Eschilu, è a forza
frrigna di na fatalità senza spiranza o rimediu.A dimustrazioni dâ so dignità –ca
è puru a spiritualità siciliana—sta ntô cumpurtamentu di Padron Ntoni ntê
Malavoglia di Verga. Iddu è ddà contru u distinu, acchiappatu a so barca –A
Pruvvidenza—già vutata a timpesta chiù forti dû mari e dâ terra, chiantatu ddà
mentri tuttu crolla attornu a iddu. Pò cadiri e cadi, ma iddu non cedi, non
dumanna. Chista è chiù chi dignità, è u segnu di nu funnu tragicu di l’esistenza
ca esigi rispettu e duna timuri. E’
sicilianità.
Si dicifrari u cori d’un omu
è difficili ancora chiù difficili è
analizzari u cori d’un populu. E
specialmenti si stu populu si porta
dappressu na storia ibrida, cu
crisciti e caduti, glorii e miserii ca
rennunu difficili ogni analisi e
sfuiunu di ogni catalugamentu.
Niautri Siciliani, misi dâ sorti a fari
di cirnera ntê seculi ntra continenti
e culturi discordi, mpastati di
calculu e istintu, razionalismu
europeu e magismu africanu,
cunnannati di sempri a sentiri suGiosuè Carducci, Nobel Prize.
pra a nostra facci comu l’eroi
pirandellianu, u sorprusu di tanti
maschiri, tutti attendibili e tutti farsi, veramenti, niautri Siciliani scuraggiamu a
cu è è di vuliri cunteniri cu na singola formula a nostra ricca e cuntraddittoria
pluralità.
Capiri a Sicilia significa p’un sicilianu capiri a iddu stissu Pirandellu dissi
ca ogni sicilianu è na isula. Voli diri definiri u dissidiu funnamentali ca nni
travagghia, l’oscillazioni ntra a claustrofobia e claustrofilia, ntra odiu e amuri di
clausura, ntra a tintazioni di spatriari e a lusinga di l’intimità di na casa.
L’insularità, vogghiu diri, nun è sulu na sigrigazioni giografica, ma si nni tira
dappressu autri, chidda dâ pruvincia, dâ famigghia, dû propriiu cori. U
pessimismu isulanu di ccà nesci, u pessimismu dâ ragiuni ca si accumpagna cû
pessimismu dâ vuluntà.
A nostra ragiuni, evidentementi, nun è a ragiuni di Cartesiu. A nostra è
chidda di Gorgia, di Empeducli, di Pirandellu, nta l’artalena tra mitu e sofisma,
Arba Sicula XXIX
74
ited from the Greeks and from
the Arabs too: “It’s written,” they
say, “It was written”. It’s the fate
of Aeschylus, it is the iron force
of a fatality without remedy and
hope. The demonstration of his
dignity—a Sicilian spirituality—
lies with the behavior of Padron
Ntoni in the Malavoglia by Verga:
he stands there against his destiny and without hope holding
on to his boat “La Provvidenza”
in the throes of the fiercest
storm stronger than sea and
earth and everything around him
is crumbling, he can fall and he
does, but he does not give up,
and he does not ask anything.
This is more than dignity: it is
the mark of a tragic foundation
of existence that demands reSalvatore Quasimodo, Nobel Prize 1959.
spect and creates fear. It’s
sicilianity.
If deciphering the heart of a man is difficult, imagine how much more
difficult it is to analyze a people. Especially if that people carry inside a hybrid
history made of growths and failures, glories and miseries that make every
analysis difficult and refuse all forms of classifications. Placed by fate to be for
centuries a point of contact between different continents and different cultures, kneaded with calculation and instinct, between European rationalism
and African magic, condemned since always to feel on our faces the insult of
many Pirandellian masks, all of which are false and dependable at the same
time, we Sicilians truly discourage anyone who wants to enclose in a single
formula our rich and contradictory plurality.
For a Sicilian, understanding Sicily means understanding himself.
Pirandello stated that every Sicilian is an island. It means to define the fundamental contrast that kneads us, the oscillation between claustrophobia and
claustrophilia, between the temptation to expatriate and the gratifying intimacy of a home. I mean that insularity is not only a geographic segregation
but it carries other forms with it: the one of the province, of the home and of
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Arba Sicula XXIX
sempri in bilicu ntra calculu e pazzia,
sempri pronta a cunfruntarisi cû so
cuntrariu, a ribaltarisi supra a se stissa,
comu accadi cu na immagini ca si
rovescia nta l’ironia di nu specchiu. E
chistu pò valiri pâ Sicilia di ajeri e di
oggi, ma mi dumannu ô stissu tempu,
e chidda di dumani? Un dumani
darreri la porta ca già viu surridiri supra i faci dî giuvini, e vibrari ntê so
gesti. ô latu di na Sicilia immobili o
almenu ca pari immobili, ci nn’è nautra
summersa ca si movi e si alluntana
ogni jornu di chiù dî mudelli culturali
dî nostri patri.
Pi sentiri e capiri a sicilianità
bisogna seguiri pi forza u cantu dî
Mario Gori
pueti picchì è â sensibilità dî pueti ca
ci la trasmetti e ca ci porta dintra
d’idda. Giovanni Pascoli, u granni e
dilicatu pueta ca soggiornau n Sicilia pir aviri nsignatu pi diversi anni a l’università
di Missina e ca canusceva beni a nostra isula, la chiamau, “L’isula dî pueti”.
Pindaru, Lucreziu, Virgiliu, Ovidiu cantarunu u fascinu e i biddizzi dâ
nostra isula. Danti Alighieri parrau varii voti dâ biddizza dâ Sicilia. Giosuè
Carducci ntâ secunna dî so Primaveri Ellenichi innalzau un innu â Sicilia. E u
granni grecista rumanu, Etturi Romagnnoli, estasiatu dî biddizzi dâ Sicilia, lanciau
u so gridu entusiastu ntô dramma “U carru di Diònisu.”
Tutti i posti da Sicilia hannu ispiratu i pueti e naturalmenti i pueti siciliani.
L’illustri pueta mudicanu Salvatore Quasimodu, premiu Nobel pâ littiratura
ntô 1959, cantau a so isula nta tanti mirabbili lirichi: “Strada ad Agrigentu,” Al
Padre”,’ “lamento per il Sud”, e dda bedda odi “Vento a Tindari.”
Giovanni Verga, capuscola dû Verismu è u scritturi chiù rapprisentativu
di l’anima siciliana. Ntê so romanzi e novelli si trovanu puru pagini di veru
lirismu. C’è un branu pocu canusciutu pubblicatu in “Arcadia di Carità”, un
numiru unicu scrivutu pi benificiari i vittimi di na china ntô venetu ntô 1883.
Nta stu branu ntitulatu “Passato” u scritturi catanisi ca si truvava ntô Nord fa
riviviri u paisaggiu ca si agita ntô so cori ricurdannusi di la so terra unni passau
a so carusanza serena, facennu vibrari magistralmenti i cordi dî sintimenti
ammucciati.
Arba Sicula XXIX
76
the heart. The islanders’ pessimism derives from this. It is a
form of pessimism of reason
accompanied by pessimism of
the will.
Ours, apparently, is not a
form of Descartian reason.
Ours belongs to Gorgia, to
Empedocles and Pirandello.
Ever on the seesaw between
myth and sophism, between calculation and madness, ever
ready to confront its contrary
and overturn itself, in the same
way in which an image that is
reflected overturned through
the irony of a mirror. Let that
Giovanni Verga
suffice for the Sicily of yesterday and today, but what about
tomorrow’s? The tomorrow that is lying outside the door that I see already in
the smiling faces and in the gestures of young people. Next to an unmoving
Sicily or one that seems so, there is another more or less submerged that is
moving slowly away from the cultural models of our fathers.
To hear and understand sicilianity we must follows the song of the poets
because their sensibility transmits it, carrying us inside of it. Giovanni Pascoli,
the great and delicate poet who lived in Sicily because he taught at the University of Messina for many years and who knew our island well, called Sicily “the
Island of Poets” in one of his poems.
Pindar, Lucretius, Virgil and Ovid sang of the fascination and the beauties of the island. Dante Alighieri spoke several times of the beauty of Sicily.
Giosuè Carducci in the second of his Primavere Elleniche, raised a hymn to our
island. And the great Greek scholar from Rome, Ettore Romagnoli, wrote an
enthusiastic accolade in his play Il Carro di Diòniso.
All the localities of Sicily have inspired poets and naturally also Sicilian
poets. The illustrious poet from Modica, Salvatore Quasimodo, Nobel Prize
winner for literature in 1959, sang about his island in many impressive poems:
“Strada ad Agrigento,” Al Padre,”’ “Lamento per il Sud,” and that wondrous
ode “Vento a Tindari.”
Giovanni Verga, the leading Verismo writer, was the most important representative of the Sicilian soul. In his novels and short stories you can find
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Giuseppe Villaroel, u Bellini dâ lirica siciliana. D’iddu ammiru “terra del
sole”, ma amu ricurdari chiossai “Aria della mia terra”, na lirica veramenti ispirata
unni u pueta catanisi cogghi i mumenti chiù genuini dâ vita di nu paiseddu
etneu. C’è poi nautru pueta ca mi è assai caru ca havi u cori chinu d’amuri
struggenti, un cori ca si firmau troppu prestu sfortunatamenti: Mario Gori,
(pseudonimu di Mario De Pasquale) na granni vuci dû nostru seculu. Mi piaci
di ricurdari dî so numirusi lirichi chidda ntitulata “Sicilia” ca è n’omaggiu
splendidu a so terra.
Infini non pozzu finiri sta brevi rassegna senza ricurdari “Siciliana” di
Giovanni Alfredo Cesareo, “Ricordo di Sicilia” di Adriano Ceri, “Canto d’amore
per la Sicilia” di Rolando Certa e “A la Sicilia mia” di Francesco Guglielmino.
Tanti e tanti autri hannu circatu ntê so versi di definiri chiddu ca è u
spiritu dî Siciliani. Ognunu d’iddi scopri quacchi cosa di novu, illumina n’aspettu
dû carattiri sicilianu e tutti hannu ragiuni e tutti hannu tortu picchì i Siciliani
hannu u cori a cipudda ca cu ogni fogghia rivela nautru aspettu e finora a dda
cipudda nuddu ha pututu livaricci tutti i so fogghi.
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78
moments of high lyricism. There is an excerpt that is little known, published in
Arcadia di Carità, a single issue of a publication for the benefit of the victims
of a flood in the Veneto region in 1883. In this excerpt entitled “Passato”
(Past) the writer from Catania who was living in the North at the time, brings
to life the Sicilian countryside where he spent his serene childhood that resides
in his memory, making the secret chords of the heart vibrate with hidden
feelings.
Of Giuseppe Villaroel, the Bellini of Sicilian poetry, I admire “Terra del
sole,” but I love to recall “Aria della mia terra,” a truly inspired poem in which
the Catanese poet captures the most genuine aspects of the life in a little town
around Mt. Etna. I want to recall also a poet so dear to me, whose heart was
full of love which ceased to beat too soon: Mario Gori, a pseudonym of Mario
De Pasquale from Niscemi. His was truly one of the great poetic voices of our
century. I’d like to recall one of his many poems, “Sicilia” which is a splendid
homage to his land. Let me not forget the poems “Siciliana” by Giovanni
Alfred Cesareo, “Ricordo di Sicilia” by Adriano Ceri, “Canto d’amore per la
Sicilia” by Rolando Certa and “A la Sicilia mia” by Francesco Guglielmino.
Many poets have attempted to define what is the spirit of the Sicilians.
Each one of them has discovered something new, he has illumined an aspect
of the Sicilian character and everyone is right and wrong at the same time
because Sicilians have a heart that’s like an onion and every peel reveals a different aspect. Until now nobody has been able to peel off all the leaves of the
onion.
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A Granni Flotta Bianca sarva i vittimi du tirrimotu di
Missina
Salvatore J. LaGumina
Nto 1907 u Prisidenti Theodore Roosevelt mannau 16 navi di guerra a
cirumnavigari u munnu pi na missioni di paci. Quannu un tirrimotu divastanti
sicutatu di nu marimotu culperunu a Sicilia e l’Italia miridiunali versu a fini du
1908, a missioni da flotta cangiau drammaticamenti. I navi da Granni Flotta
Bianca curreru nto Miditirraniu pi succorriri cu aiuti umanitari essenziali e pi
aiutari l’Italia unni si stima ca 200,000 pirsuni avianu persu a vita.
A domu di Missina completamenti distruttu.
La mostra fu organizzata di la Columbus Foundation e faceva parti di
celebrazioni annuali ca rapprisenta a chiu’ granni celebrazioni da cultura Italiana
e Italu-Miricana nto munnu, ca culmina ca parata du jornu di Colombo supra a
Quinta Avenue u 13 di ottobri. Organizzata pu centenariu du disastru naturali
ca causau tanti danni, A “Granni Flotta Bianca” documenta i sforzi fatti di
l’Italiani e di surdati miricani pi aiutari li vittimi du tirrimotu facennu parti di
unu di li chiu’ mpunenti sforzi di aiutari l’umanita’ suffirenti.
Nte matinati du 28 dicembri du 1908, precisamente e 5:21 u Strittu di
Missina fu attravirsatu d’un tirrimotu ntra Scilla e Cariddi ca pruvucau unu di
chiu’ granni disastri da storia du nostru paisi. Nta na para di secunni un tirrimotu
Arba Sicula XXIX
80
Great White Fleet rescuing Italian earthquake victims.
Salvatore J. LaGumina
In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt sent 16 battleships to circumnavigate the globe on a goodwill mission. When a devastating earthquake followed by a tidal wave hit Sicily and southern Italy in late 1908, the fleet’s mission changed dramatically. Ships from America’s Great White Fleet rushed to
Sperry’s Great White Battleship Fleet, consisting of sixteen battleships and additional auxiliary
and support vessels manned by over 14,000 sailors, then in the Mediterranean and nearing the
end of its round-the-world cruise, was an active participant in the relief effort
the Mediterranean to provide essential humanitarian aid and services to Italy,
where an estimated 200,000 people had perished.
The exhibition was part of the annual Columbus Celebration, the largest
celebration of Italian and Italian-American culture in the world, which culminated with the Columbus Day Parade on Fifth Avenue on October 13 and was
organized by the Columbus Citizens Foundation. Held in the centenary year
of the natural disasters that wrought untold damage, “The Great White Fleet”
documented the heroic efforts of Italians and American servicemen who came
together in one of the greatest humanitarian efforts in European history.
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e un marimotu daccussi viulenti ca nun s’avianu mai riggistratu prima s’abbatteru
supra i costi di li du regioni, a Calabria e Sicilia, e supra i du citta’ opposti,
Reggiu Calabria e Missina.
Centu anni dopu, Gens Italica, ca organizzau sta mostra in collaborazioni
ca Columbus Foundation, voli ricurdari stu mumentu drammaticu da nostra
storia circannu di investigari i differenti aspetti di l’eventu, l’assistenza
intirnazionali e li currenti di emigrazioni ca nascerunu a causa di sta nova e
chiu’ prufunna miseria.
Oltri a la mostra a New York foru organizzati autri eventi comu na missa
sulenni celebrata nta Cattidrali di San Patriziu e a prisintazioni di un novu libru
di Salvatore J. Lagumina supra u tirrimotu, intitulatu: THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE: AMERICA COMES TO MESSINA’S RESCUE, Teneo Press, October, 2008.
Ncludemu na para di fotografii da tragedia.
Arba Sicula XXIX
82
On the morning of December 28, 1908, at 5:21, Messina Strait, a tremor
passed between Scylla and Charybdis, thus provoking one of the biggest natural calamities in our country’s history. In a few seconds, an earthquake and a
seaquake of unprecedented violence destroyed the Strait’s shores of two regions, Calabria and Sicily, and the two opposite cities, Reggio Calabria and
Messina.
100 years later, Gens Italica wants to remember this dramatic moment
of Italian history by investigating the different aspects connected to the event,
the international assistance and the migratory streams due to a new and deeper
poverty.
In addition to the exhibition which was held in the Grand Central Terminal from October 13 to the 19th, a solemn mass was celebrated at Saint Patrick’s
Cathedral on Monday, October 13, 2008. and a new book on the subject was
presented by Salvatore J. LaGumina, THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE:
AMERICA COMES TO MESSINA’S RESCUE, Teneo Press, October, 2008.
We include a few rare photos of the tragedy:
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Arba Sicula XXIX
Mario Gori, na vuci mpurtanti dâ puisia siciliana
Gaetano Cipolla
Sicilia è daveru “l’sula dâ puisia” comu dissi Giovanni Pascoli.
Nautra frasi pupulari ca suttulinia stu cuncettu è n’antica tiritera
ca dici “cu voli puisia vegna n Sicilia ca teni la bannera dâ vittoria”.
Chiaramenti c’è tanta genti ntâ Sicilia ca joca câ puisia, comu testimonia u fattu
ca quasi in ogni paisi c’è n’associazioni di pueti ca si riunisciunu pi recitari puisii
e ca si cunsiddiranu “pueti” Mancu a dirlu non tutti putisssiru passari l’esami dû
tempu o di quacchi criticu esigenti. Avennu dittu chistu, non pozzu non essiri
d’accordu cu Pascoli ca a Sicilia ha prodottu assai pueti ntô passatu e continua
a produciri granni pueti puru oggi. Quacchi vota mi sbalurdisci vidiri quanti
pueti di gran valuri a Sicilia ha prodottu nta l’urtimi centu anni. E Arba Sicula
ca ricivi ogni annu assai libbra di puisia havi difficurtà a tinirisi nfurmata di
chiddu ca veni pubblicatu nta scena puetica di l’isula. I vuci puetichi ca
dumannanu di essiri ascutati sunu assai e Arba Sicula dicidiu di seleziunari na
vuci pi ogni numiru ca merita di essiri canusciuta di stu latu di l’Atlanticu.
Ovviamenti sarà difficili inchiri i lacuni ma almenu i cchiù granni pueti dû
nostru tempu e dû passatu truvirannu spaziu ntâ nostra rivista.
Nta stu numiru uffremu na brevi antologia puetica di Mario Gori, un
pueta ca nasciu a Niscemi u 16 di sittembri dû 1926 e muriu ntô 1970. Si
chiamava veramenti Mario De Pasquale e fu pueta rinumatu, giurnalista, diritturi
e funnaturi di rivisti littirarii ntra autri misteri. Io canuscia na para dî so puisii
senza sapiri ca eranu i so. Nta nu CD dî Canterini di Ortigia, u me amicu Salvu
Bottari, recita du ottavi pi introduciri i canzuni dû gruppu. I puisii mi parevanu
beddi e lapidari e mi dumannava di unni l’avia pigghiatu e cu l’avia scrittu. Û
scupriu ricentementi ntôn libru ca riciviu duranti u viaggiu di Arba Sicula n
Sicilia. Una di l’ottavi cuminciava accussì “”Lu me sangu, signuri, è pupulanu/
e lu me cori nun ci nn’ha patruni...” ca includiu nta st’antologia. L’autra è
“Cummà, chi ssiti bedda stamatina...”. Mentri liggia sti puisia ntô libru ntitulatu
Ogni jornu ca passa ogni jornu ca veni, mi vinni di ricanusciri ca canusceva na para di
autri puisia senza avirli mai assuciati cu l’auturi. Si chiamava Mario Gori e
chiaramenti a so puisia havi dda stissa qualità di chidda di Antoniu Venezianu,
na qualità ca da â puisia na certa indipinnenza quasi fussi na criazioni naturali.
Fici na selezioni di puisia di Gori cu l’idea di introducirlu ê nostri litturi.
Ntê numira futuri prisintamu a autri pueti ca brillanu ntô vastu panurama dâ
puisia siciliana.
A
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Mario Gori, an Important Voice of Sicilian Poetry
Gaetano Cipolla
icily is indeed the “island of poetry” as Giovanni Pascoli called her.
Another popular phrase that underlines this concept is an older
ditty that goes like “cu voli puisia vegna in Sicilia ca teni la bannera
dâ vittoria.” Clearly many people in Sicily dabble in poetry, as can be testified
by the fact that almost every town has its own gathering of poets who recite
their creation to each other and claim the title of “pueta”. Needless to say not
all of them would stand the test of time or of a demanding critic. This said, I
have to agree with Pascoli that Sicily has produced and continues to produce
great poets. I am amazed sometime by how many good poets Sicily has produced in the last one hundred years and Arba Sicula which receives a great
number of books of poetry a year has difficulty in keeping up with the production and keeping abreast of the poetry scene on the island. Many excellent
new voices and many old voices clamor to be heard and Arba Sicula has
decided to select one voice that deserves to be heard on this side of the
Atlantic per issue. We obviously will not keep pace with the stream of poetry
that is sent to us, but we will at least identify the major lacunae that have not
been published in our magazine.
In this issue we are featuring a small anthology of the poet Mario Gori who
was born on September 16, 1926 in Niscemi and died there in 1970. His real
name was Mario De Pasquale and he was a very highly regarded poet, journalist,
editor of a literary journal and a writer among other things. I knew some of his
poems without knowing that they were his poems. In a CD by I Canterini di
Ortigia, my friend Salvo Bottari, recites two of his short poems as a way of
introducing the next song. I found the poems striking and lapidary and I was
always puzzled as to their authorship. I discovered it recently from a book that
was given to me during the last tour of Arba Sicula. One of the octaves is the one
that begins with “Lu me sangu, signuri, è pupulanu / e lu me curi non ci nn’ha
patruni…” that is included in this anthology. The other is “cummà, chi ssiti bedda
stamatina”. As I read the poems in the book, entitled Ogni jornu ca passa ogni jornu ca
veni, I realized that I had heard a number of other poems without ever making the
connection with the author. His name was Mario Gori and clearly his poetry has
that same quality that AntonioVeneziano had, that is, a quality that lets the poem
stand on its own, almost as a natural thing, a creation without a creator.
I have selected a few of Gori’s poems as a way of introducing him to
our readers. In future issues we will select other poets who shine in the vast
panorama of Sicilian poetry.
S
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Carusi
Un tempu nni li siri di la stati
ccu li carusi ppi li cantuneri
Si iucava a presu e a li carrabbineri
o a diri cunta a rocculu ssittati.
E li caliddi ppi li casi casi
manciavanu ncugnati a li buffetti,
me nannu si faciva lu trissetti
e nautri erimu comu li bastasi.
Davanti la putia di Cardallanu
banniavumu e currevumu filici,
facevamu cantari po’ a Luvici
e tiravamu petri nni lu chianu.
“Passa passa taddarita
ccu na coppula di sita
e la sita è fatta d’oru
passa passa lu ghialoru”
Oh tutti la cantavamu la sira
sta vecchia canzunedda di carusi
Taliavamu li stiddi luminusi
ccu li facciuzzi bianchi comu cira.
E facivamu tanti pinsamenti:
“lu celi è di biscottu,- nti dda stidda
ca pari tunna comu na rusidda
cci sunu li ncantisimi viventi”.
Oh, cchi discursa, eppuri ni pariva
tanta tristi la vita di sett’anni
e vulevumu crisciri cchiù granni
ppi aviri na cavadda ca fuiva ...
Ora la sira scinni e ppi lu chianu
li riavuli d’un tempu nun ci sunu,
sulu di tutti vuatri ci nn’è unu,
Arba Sicula XXIX
86
Children
Once upon a time in summer evenings
together with the boys we used to play
games of delinquents caught and of police
Or to tell stories sitting in a circle.
And the wheat harvesters inside the house
would eat all huddling near the dinner table.
My grandfather played his game of cards
and we as children acted as young rascals.
In front of Cardallanu’s shop we used
to scream and run around with glee
and then we’d ask Luvici for a song
as we hurled rocks inside the little square.
“Come, now come, you little bat
with your lovely silken hat
but the silk is made of gold
come, now come you jug of old.”
Oh, how we used to sing there every night
this sweet, old children nursery rhyme
We gazed then at the luminescent stars
and with our faces white as wax
many a thought we would then entertain:
“The sky is made of biscuits,—in a star
that seems to be round like a little rose
there are enchantments living there.
Oh what discussions but it seemed to us
that life at seven years of age was sad
and we just could not wait to grow up fast
so as to have a horse that ran with speed…
Now when night falls there are no devils lurking
inside the square as they did long ago.
Children, of all of you just one remains
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carusi, ca fa ancora lu baccanu.
lu, ca tornu ccu la fantasia
ccu Cicciu, ccu Vicenzu Mpilicanu
davanti la putia di Cardallanu
versu li tocchi di l’ Avimaria.
E dda ssittatu supra lu scaluni
iu cantu sulu ppi li taddariti
e vi riviu currennu ca vi nn’iti
a mucciarivi dintra un purtuni.
(12.4.1945)
Chiddu ca mi piaci
Mi piaciunu li strati di campagna
versu l’autunnu ccu li fogghi morti,
la negghia fitta supra la muntagna
la vuci di lu ventu quannu è forti.
Mi piaci l’ura ca lu cori è mpena
lu suli ca tramunta a la marina,
la notti quannu e tacita e sirena
e quannu chiovi, l’acqua di la china.
Mi piaciunu li veli na lu mari
e li canzuni di li carritteri
li pagghialori di li quartarari,
l’alivi ca fanu umbra a li trazzeri.
E li cicali na la vispirata
li rinnineddi di la primavera
li vacchi versu sira a la muntata
e la lucerna di la cantunera.
Mi piaciunu li pecuri a la chiana
e la nivi ca mbianca li pinnini,
na priera di vecchi e na campana
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who still makes quite a racket in the square.
I who return in my imagination
with Cicciu and Vicenzu Mpilicanu
in front of Cardallanu’s shop
when I hear the bells of the Ave Maria.
And sitting there upon one of the steps
I sing alone the rhyme for bats
and I see you as you begin to run away
to hide behind somebody’s doorway.
(4/12/1945)
The Things I like
I like the country roads
toward the autumn when the leaves are dead,
the dense fogs hovering on the mountain,
the voice of the wind when it is strong.
I like the hour when the soul is suffering
the sun when it sets down above the sea,
the Night when it is tranquil and serene,
and when it rains, the water of the floods.
I like the sails that fly out on the sea
I like the sing song of the carters,
the hay huts of the terracotta workers,
the olive trees that shade the country paths.
And the cicadas at the ebbing of the day,
the little swallows that come in the spring,
the cows as night falls on the mountains,
and the oil lamp that sits there in the corner.
I like the sheep roaming in the plain
and the snow whitening the mountain slopes,
a prayer of old people and a bell,
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e li nuvula russi e cinnirini.
Na rosa ca s’ammacia e si spampana
comu na giuvinazza strasciuruta
un ricordu ca veni e s’alluntana
e na carusa ca mi varda muta
Comu si avissi nu disiu d’amuri
Dintra li vavareddi risulenti
Supra li labbra russi comu un ciuri
Ca vasassuru sempri eternamente.
E tu mi piaci, tu ca m’ami tantu
e mi conforti sta malincunia
e mi veni ridennu ad ogni cantu
ccu lu to sguardu chinu di malia.
Amarizza
“Iamu ch’è notti e llongu e lu caminu”
mi dissi ugn iornu un vecchiu marinaiu,
“Iamu, lu celi nun è tantu chiaru
e nni duvemu dari a lu distinu”.
La vita mia accussi! Passannu l’uri
e vaiu circannu ccu li me pinseri
tutti li strati e tutti li trazzeri
e viu ca tuttu nfacci mi si chiuri.
Dumani ... ed ora? ... E sempri na canzuna,
sempri un pirchì ca cercu di sfatari,
ma sentu lu me sonnu rruvinari
e portu ccu li spini la me cruna.
(1944)
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and the red and ash-blue clouds in the sky.
A rose that’s fading, losing all its petals,
like a young woman who has lost her bloom,
a memory that comes and goes away
and a young girl who looks at me in silence
as though she had a wistful need of love
inside her laughing twinkling eyes,
and on her lips red like a flower
that keep on kissing me for all eternity.
And I like you who love me so
and give relief to this my melancholy
and come toward me laughing at every song
with that seductive, charming glance of yours.
Bitterness
“Let’s go, for it’s night and our journey’s long”
an aged sailor said to me one day.
“Let’s go, the sky is not too clear this morning
and we must give ourselves to destiny.”
My life has been like this! Passing the hours
and I go seeking with my every thought
all of the roads and all the pathways
and I see how all things close in my face.
Tomorrow… and now? It’s always the same song,
the same old whys I try to reconcile
but I feel how my sleep’s about to end
and so I bear my crown of thorns.
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Ogni iornu ca veni
Ogni iornu ca veni è na spiranza,
na fudda di pinseri a brigghia sciota,
na sdunata d’amuri, na spittanza
di miraculu granni e ccu na nota
cantata a pettu chinu si llarìa
lu celu dintra l’anima allazzata
ccu li nninnagghi di la magaria
c’a li sensi ni duna la fuchiata .
E’ la festa d’un sonnu, un suspirari
ccu lu cori a li labbra e ccu li vini
unchi di meli, un foddi disiari
la cota di na rosa senza spini.
E mentri l’occhiu cca lampia d’amuri
Si va tissennu ccu la fantasia
mparadisu di beni, lu duluri
mutu n’amara lacrima cuvia.
(1956)
Ottave
Lu me sangu, signuri, è pupulanu
e lu me cori nun ci n’ha patruni,
me nannu ppi sapillu era viddanu
ma nun si scappillò ccu certarcuni,
la fami la cugghieva ccu li manu
ma nun ci tuppuliò na li purtuni,
di la me razza iu nun sugnu stranu
e ccu nuddu mi mettu a nginucchiuni.
*
Sugnu lu mastraiocu di l’amuri
iu ccu li donni ci la sacciu fari
ca di li donni fui la ntantaturi
ca ccu li ntanti li vinni a ntantari.
Iu di li donni sacciu lu valuri,
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Each Day that Comes
Each day that comes brings hope with it
a crowd of thoughts running without a bridle
a love denied, and an awaiting for
an awesome miracle and with a note
that’s sung with a full chest the sky
widens inside the soul entwined with the liens
spun through some magic spell that set on fire
that set on fire all our senses.
It’s the feast of a dream, a sigh
with your poor heart on your lips
and with your veins replete with honey
a mad desire for a rose that has no thorns
and while the eye is beaming full of love
a paradise of happiness is spun
with our imagination and the silent woe
is nurturing a bitter tear.
Octaves
People, the blood that flows inside my veins
is of peasant stock and my heart has no masters.
And so you know, my grandpa was a farmer,
but he did not remove his cap for anyone.
He went collecting hunger with his hands
but he did not go knocking door to door.
I am not different from my kind at all
and I will never kneel before a man
I am the master in the game of love,
with women I know how to get my way
for I was the first tempter of all women
who came to tempt them with my wily ways.
I know the mettle and the worth of women
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ma sacciu puru quantu sunu amari,
la donna è petra ed iu lu pirriaturi,
la donna è barca ed iu sugnu lu mari.
Fimmini beddi cci ni sunu assai
ma beddi cchiù di vui nun ci ni su’,
labbra chini di meli ni vasai
ma na li vostri ni truvai di cchiù,
occhi ncantati nun ni visti mai
comu st’ucchiuzzi ca ci aviti vu’,
amuri forti cci ni sunu assai
comu lu miu però nun ci ni su’.
Stamatina li groi a filarera vitti
vulari ncelu di bon’ura,
la vecchia ch’è dda sutta a la pitrera
ch’è bona ppi nsirtari la vintura,
mi dissi: “Figghiu, malu signu mpera
si li vidisti tu spetta svintura”.
Si chiddu ca mi dissi è cosa vera
vol diri ca si tu la traditura.
Favuli
E menzanotti. La cunsinna sona.
Lampia dda nfunnu supra San Miceli
e pari ca si spaccanu li celi
ccu la riutura ngurda di li trona.
Tutti li porti sunu nfirrittati
lu ventu rufulia, na lu catusu
di la Pititta un cani lammicusu
abbaia ad ogni scrusciu di pidati.
Lu stissu abbaiu di tanti anni arreri
quannu attornu a lu vecchiu fuculari
me nannu si minteva a raccuntari
li cunta di li fati e li guirreri.
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But I know too how bitter they can be.
Woman’s a stone and I am the stonecutter
A woman is a boat and I’am the sea.
Many a woman live upon this earth
but there’s no one more beautiful than you.
I have kissed many lips replete with honey
but on your lips I found much more.
I have not ever seen eyes so enchanting
as those sweet and bright eyes of yours.
Strong loves are not too hard to find
but love as strong as mine does not exist.
Early this morning I saw a long line
of cranes that were flying in the sky,
the old woman who lives below the quarry
who is quite good at telling fortune
said to me “Son, an evil omen reigns.
If you saw it, you can expect misfortune.”
If what she said to me is really true
it means that you are going to betray me.
Fables
It is midnight. The hour for changing sounds.
Down there above Saint Miceli lightning strikes
And looks as though the sky is bursting up
with the insistent and loud thunderclap.
All doors are under lock and bolt
the wind is whistling, in the courtyard
of Pititta a pitiable old dog is barking
at every little sound of steps he hears.
The same barking of many years ago
when sitting round the ancient fireplace
my grandpa started to relate old tales
of fairies and of knights in shining armor.
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Lu stissu ventu tristi rufulia
derra li porti e pari vogghia diri
li favuli scurdati di ddi siri
quannu ccu l’occhi di la fantasia
curreva appressu a un principi c’avia
un ermu ccu lu giummu svulazzanti
e na spata ncantata di domanti
ca puru na la notti stralucia.
Quannu lu sonnu mi facia vulari
a brigghia sciota ppi mari e ppi munti
supra ncavaddu ccu na stidda nfrunti
ca ntra un casteddu mi vinia a lassari,
ncasteddu d’oru spersu na li celi
unna lu suli nun cuddava mai
picchi dda dintra ccu l’ucchiuzzi gai
ridia la bedda di li setti veli.
E dduci mi paria la vita tannu
ca pussidiva un munnu nta lu cori,
un munnu di ncantisimi e trisori
na la vecchia casuzza di me nannu.
Na casuzza scurusa, na lumera
ca fumuliava supra la tannura,
ugn iattu ca runfava e mura mura
li panara appinnuti a filarera,
na cona ccu na lampa vigilanti
e li cruci di parma strasiccati,
li figureddi vecchi appiccicati
sutta la bulla di li lochi santi,
na rivulata china di gistuni,
un barcuneddu na la trammuntana
ccu li grasti di menta e maiurana.
di basilicu e di vucchi di liuni,
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The same sad wind is whistling out the doors
and it seems that it’s trying to relate
the fables of those nights that we forgot
when with the eyes of my imagination
I used to run to follow behind a prince
who had a shield with a flying pennant
and an enchanted sword of diamonds
that shone most brightly even in the dark.
When dreams allowed me to fly high
and without a bridle over the sea
and over mountains too, riding a horse
that had a star upon its forehead
who flew me to a golden castle in the sky
in which the sun would never set because
inside its walls there smiled the happy eyes
of the fair lady of the seven veils.
And life seemed sweet to me then
for I possessed a whole world in my heart
a world of treasures and enchantments
inside the little house of my grandfather.
It was a dark house with a lamp that smoked
above the fireplace, a cat that purred
and baskets hanging all along the walls.
A little statue with an ever present lamp
and crosses of palm leaves dried up,
with little images stuck to the wall
under the mark of the sacred places.
.
The storage above the door of baskets full,
a little balcony that faced the north
with pots of mint and marjoram
and basel plants and with soome Lions’ mouths
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un ferru di cavaddu na la porta
ppi lu scungiuru di la magaria,
li cuddureddi di Santa Lucia
è un San Libratu ccu la facci storta.
La nanna ccu lu sciallu nta na gnuni
li posti di rusariu si dicia
e prigannu prigannu cci cadia
a testa na lu pettu a pinnuluni.
Fora luntanu ppi li cantuneri
nzulu u cucchiu cantava e a lu stratuni
sunannu si pirdia ncannalarruni
ca ntesta mi mintia tanti pinseri.
Po’ la campana di la men zanotti
ccu la cunsinna mi facia cantari,
me nannu mi dicia: “Senza parrari,
zittu ca fora cc’è Cantalanotti”.
E po’ tuttu finiva e s’astutava
la lumera di l’angulu e lu ventu fora
si trascinava lu lamentu
di quarchi spirdu ca si crucifiava.
Ma la vita c’acchiana li scaluna
di lu tempu facennuni accucchiari
na lu libru di l’arma l’uri amari
signati di na cruci di nguttuna,
la vita ca ni fa l’occhi scuntenti
e ni cancia li sceni luminusi
strazzannuni li sonna di carusi
ppi nun farini cridiri cchiù a nenti,
ddu paradisu mi lu cancillò
e la favula prestu si finiu,
la fata nchiusi l’occhi e si durmiu,
lu principi si persi e non turnò.
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A horse shoe at the door to guard against
the evil eye and magi spells
the little sweets made for Saint Lucy’s day
and Saint Libratu with a crooked face.
My grandmother with a shawl upon her back
saying her rosary in the corner
and as she prayed her head would droop
upon her chest from time to time
Outside and far away along the corners
only the owl sang and in the road
the sound of the Jew’s harp was fading
putting inside my head many a thought.
The midnight bell then would begin to peel
marking the passing time and made me sing,
my grandpa then would say: “Don’t make a sound.
Be quiet for the Boogey man’s outside.”
Then everything would end and the oil lamp
faded away, while the wind outside carried
the woes of some poor soul who crucified
himself. But life that’s climbing up the steps
of time that made us gather in the book
of the soul the most embittered hours,
marked by a cross made of sorrows
life that paints sadness in our eyes, changing
the luminescent scenes to darker hues,
tearing apart our children’s dreams,
so we do not believe in anything any more,
finally erased that paradise for me
and the good fable quickly ended then,
the fairy closed her eyes and fell asleep
the prince got lost and never did return.
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L’ultima littra
Cchi fai, cchi pensi, unna ti trovi, amuri?
Ni persimu accussi comu ddu strani
e avemu ancora tanti cosi nsemi,
tu li me sonna ed iu li sonna toi,
tu lu me cori ed iu lu cori to.
Oh ddu tempu filici ca faceva
dduci li sonna e forti lu disiu,
comu prestu passo ddu tempu anticu
spartennuni li mani e lu distinu!
M’amasti ed iu t’amai comu nissunu
ti po cchiù amari ccu li sensi foddi
di li vint’anni mei squeti e amurusi,
m’amasti ed iu t’amai sulu pinseru
di li me notti, vampa di stu cori
c’addumava ppi ttia, palumma ianca
di li me celi ed ora ca la vita
luntana ti purto ppi n’autra via
comu disertu e ormai lu me caminu
chinu d’umbri , di ielu e di scunforti.
Bona fortuna ppi li iorna toi
E tutta biniditta unn’è ca vai,
c’almenu di li ddui pozza tu sula
siri filici, la me vita e ormai
na tomba ccu la lampa d’un ricordu.
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The Last Letter
What are you doing , where are you, Love?
We lost each other like two strangers
and we still have so much to share:
you share my dreams and I share yours
you have my heart and I have yours.
That happy time that made our sleep so sweet
and gave such strength to our desire is gone.
How quickly did that ancient time fade out!
separating both our hand and our destiny.
You loved me and I loved you like no one else
could love you, with the madness of the senses
of my restless and loving twenty years.
You loved me and I loved you
as the only thought of my nights,
a flame of this my heart
that burned for you, white dove of my heaven,
and now that life has taken you away
on another road, my journey’s like a desert
full of shadows, ice, and disappointments.
May you have luck in all your days to come
and may you be blessed wherever you may go,
so that at least just one of us may live
in happiness, for my life now is just
a tomb with a lamp lit for memory.
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Lu primu focu
Disiu ca percia l’anima, un pinseru
ca fa dduci li sonna, nu battuliuni
di cori a na guardata nsutta nsutta,
na frevi di sdilliniu ca cuvia
na lu sangu a rivugghiu e ni fa fari
la notti iornu e lu iornu a llammicu.
Ccussi ti ntisi veniri na sira
na li me sensi e un miniculu mi parsi
ca mi purtavi mbrazza la spiranza.
Dda notti ...
Na notti sula e nun la scordu mai
na notti ca fu tutta na fuddia,
cchi meli na ssa vucca ca truvai,
cchi focu na ssi vini ti vugghia!
Dducizza tali nun n’assapurai
ccu nudda donna comu fu ccu ttia,
mi parsi ca fu un sonnu ca sunnai,
un sonnu ca fu forsi magaria.
Na notti sula e dopu a lu matinu,
all’arba, vinni un trenu e ni spartiu
ppi sempri, ognunu ppi lu so caminu.
Eritu tristi e tristi era puru iu
e tutti ddui pinsannu a lu distinu
muti muti ni desimu l’addiu.
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The First Fire
Desire that pierces the soul, a thought
that makes sleep sweet, a shudder in the heart
at a persistent hidden glance,
a fever of delusions smoldering
inside the hot blood that makes us turn
night into day and day into a dripping time.
That’s how I heard you coming one night
inside my senses and for a moment there
I thought you carried hope upon your arms.
That night...
Only one night, and I cannot forget it,
a night that was with madness wrought,
what honey found I in that mouth of yours
and oh what fire seethed inside your veins!
I never tasted such delight again
with any other woman as I did with you.
It seemed that me that I was dreaming
a dream that maybe was a magic spell.
Only one night and after in the morning,
at dawn, the train arrived and separated us
forever, each one bound to his own journey .
You were so sad and sad was I as well
and both of us were thinking of our fate
and said goodbye without a single word.
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A Simana Santa
Di Joe Ruggeri
paraguni di lu piriudu nataliziu, u piriudu di Pasqua havi menu prigheri,
pricisamenti quattru narrativi e du prigheri curti. Nondimenu, nni fannu
capiri com’era a fidi di li nostri avi.
C’è na indicazioni nta la narrativa ntitulata “A Madunnuzza quannu
nutricava” ca iddu sapia di la so crucifissioni già di la so carusanza. Si cunta ca
Gesù ieva nta foresta purtannu supra i spaddi nu truncu di arburu comu eserciziu
pi l’arburu ca avia a purtari o Calvariu. D’accussì nta sti narrativi di Natali e
Pasqua avemu l’immagini di Cristu suffirenti di la so cuncezioni: u viaggiu
difficili di Giuseppi e Maria finu a Betlemmi, u rifiutu pi parti di li parenti di
Giuseppi, u friddu suffertu nta la caverna unni nasciu e a fami quacchi vota, i
so priparativi nta so carusanza, e alla fini a morti dulurusa supra a cruci. Videmu
puru nta sti narrativi na divirgenza di lu Vancelu pi quantu riguarda u rolu di
Maria. Nta sti narrativi idda si trova sempri allatu di so fighiu di l’iniziu inveci di
appariri tuttu nta na vota a li pedi di la cruci. Idda cerca a so figghiu, comu
quannu carusittu iddu avia ristatu nta lu tempiu e dumanna pirdunu pi iddu di
li so turmentaturi crudeli, mittennu a so stissa vita a rischiu. A rapprisintazioni
di Maria è chiù in linia cu li esperienzi di li matri ca ricitavanu sti prigheri, picchì
nissuna matri siciliana avissi ristatu nta so casa a sbrigari i faccenni di casa sapennu
ca so figghiu era n piriculu.
Nta sti narrativi putemu ossirvari chiaramenti a natura sangunusa di la
Passioni di Cristu, ca non fu diffirenti di chidda discritta nto film di Mel Gibson
The Passion of Christ. I scritturi di sti narrativi sapevanu ca a Passioni non fu na
causa pulita e senza duluri nton tribunali sicutatu di na supra a cruci. Gesù nun
sulu muriu supra a cruci pi niautri, iddu suffriu a tortura e tremendu duluri. C’è
puru nanticchia di antisemitismu nta sti narrativi in linia cu li viduti ca la Chiesa
avia fina a tempi ricenti. Nta sti prigheri chiddi ca fannu suffriri a Gesù nun
sunu sulu surdati rumani ma gruppi di giudei.
Infini, sti narrativi fannu risartari a putenza di la prighera, specificamenti
a putenza di insignari e ricitari a Passioni di Gesù. Tramiti la putenza di sti
prigheri, a Passioni non è un eventu passatu ca ricurdamu ogni annu, ma na
rialtà di oggi picchì u sangu iccatu di Gesù dumila anni fa esercita ancora a so
funzioni di redenzioni. Nta sti narrativi, a putenza di curari non deriva di lu
Cristu ca risuscitau ma di lu Cristu crucifissu.
A
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II.THE HOLY WEEK - A SIMANA SANTA
by Joe Ruggeri
ompared to the Christmas season, the Easter season contains a small
number of prayers, namely, four narratives on the passion and two
short pieces. Nonetheless they provide important insights into the faith
of our forefathers. There is a hint in the narrative entitled When Mary Was
Nursing that Jesus knew from his childhood about his crucifixion. He is depicted as going to the woods and carrying a log on his shoulders as practice
for the tree that he was to carry to Calvary. Thus, in these narratives for the
Christmas and Easter seasons we have a picture of a suffering Lord from his
conception: the hardships of the trip to Bethlehem for Joseph and Mary and
their rejection by Joseph’s relatives, the freezing conditions in the cave where
he was born, and sometimes hunger, his preparations in his youth, and finally
his painful death on the cross.
We also notice a departure from the Gospel accounts regarding the
role of Mary. In these narratives she is at her son’s side right from the beginning instead of just appearing all of a sudden at the foot of the cross. She
searches for her son, as she did when as a child he remained behind in the
temple, and pleads for his release with the cruel tormentors even at the risk of
putting her own life on the line. This depiction of Mary’s role is more in line
with the experiences of the mothers who would be reciting these narratives,
for none of those mothers would have stayed at home attending her daily
chores, when she knew that her son was in danger.
In these narratives we are also treated to a view of the gruesome
nature of Jesus’s Passion, not unlike the one depicted in Mel Gibson’s film The
Passion of the Christ. The writers of these narratives realized that the Passion did
not involve a clean and painless trial and a quick death on the cross, but visualized a long process of cruel torture that culminated in the death on the cross.
Jesus did not just die on the cross for us, he suffered torture and excruciating
pain. There is also a hint of anti-Semitism in these narratives, in line with the
view of the Church which was held until recent times. In these narratives,
those who are inflicting the torture are not just Roman soldiers, but mostly
bands of Jewish people. Finally, these narratives emphasize the power of prayer,
specifically the power of teaching and reciting the passion of Jesus. Through the
powers of these prayers, the Passion is not a past event which the faithful recollect
annually, but becomes a current reality as the blood spilled by the Lord two thousand years ago exercises its redeeming function. In these narratives, healing power
does not come from the Resurrected Christ but from the Crucified Jesus.
C
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The Word
1.I know the Word and the Word I will recite
Of our dear Lord the Word I will proclaim
On the cross he died for us, but not in vain
For all transgressors to liberate he came.
2. Oh Cross how tall you are and to us good
Heaven you reach but earth you penetrate
You are made of flesh and not of lowly wood
It’s really true that the Word was incarnate.
3. At the fair valley of Geosaphat
Old and young came here to congregate
When in that large plain they will arrive
Like laurel fronds they shiver and they quake.
4. From heaven our Lord will then descend
On a small golden chair he will be seated
A small book he will be holding in his hand
Which he will read and give his own command.
5. Women and men, sinners unrequited
The Word, if you know it, you must recite
The Word you must learn if you do not know
And from a painful death you are spared the blow.
6. The one who calls when the bells are ringing
I now take leave so I can go and find him
If I don’t find him my wandering I’ll close
I stop the search and with my God repose.
7. Word incarnate from heaven you descended
In Mary’s womb you landed and had abode
You stayed nine months, then had your birth
Unblemished Mary virgin had remained.
8. For 33 years in the world you abided
To all mothers your full pardon you provided
Now pardon me who has become so sad
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Lu Verbu
1. Lu verbu sacciu e lu verbu ogghiu diri
chistu è lu verbu du nostru Signuri
supra ‘na cruci vinistu a muriri
pi sabbari li piccaturi.
2. Cruci, quantu si ranni e si binigna
‘un brazzu teni ‘nterra e n’autru in celu
cridu chi si fatta di carni e non di lignu
si “A verbum caro factum est”.
3. Già a la valle, valle di Giosafat
ranni e picciddi iamu a essiri dda
quannu arruamu ‘nta dda gran chianura
tutti trimaru comu tri fogghi di lavura.
4. Poi dda cala lu nostru Signuri
si ssetta supra na siggitta d’oru
e tinennu lu libireddu a manu
iddu leggi e dici:
5. O piccaturi o Piccatrici
tu sai lu verbu picchì non lu dici
si non lu sai ti lu fai ‘mparari
di mala morti non poi muriri.
6. Cu dici a campanedda sunoi
ora mi pattu e vaiu e lu trovu,
si non lu trovu, dda mi ‘ttaccu e m’illiu
femma la liti e cu Diu mi staiu.
7. Verbu ‘ncarnatu di lu celu scinnistu
‘nata lu ventri di Maria istu e riusastu
Stastu novi misi e poi nascistu
La Virgini Maria com’era la lassastu.
8. Trentatri anni pi lu munnu istu
tutti li matri santi piddunastu
ora piddunati a mia chi sugnu tristu
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As to all sinners pardon you have given.
9. What can I do, no longer I have respite
Wherever I go he spies and then he probes
If you know the word why don’t you recite?
10. Who the Word recites three times a day
The wages of sin in hell won’t have to pay
Who recites it three times every night
From a painful death will obtain respite.
11. Who recites it three times in a day
Is freed from every evil and woeful way
When to the saints three times it is recited
Protection from thunder and lightening is provided.
12. Who says it every day at crack of dawn
From earthquakes and tremors is condoned
Who recounts it three times every night
In heaven with Virgin Mary will reside.
13. Who knows the Word and to recite it fails
Seven slashes will receive with tar and fire
And those who don’t teach it though they could
Seven slashes will receive with fire and wood.
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comu l’autri erruri piddunastu.
9. Comu fazzu? Abbentu non aiu!
unni vaiu mi spia e mi dici:
si sai lu Verbu picchì non lu dici?
10. Cu lu dici tri voti o jornu
libiratu iè di peni d’infernu,
cu lu dici tri voti a la notti
libiratu iè da mala motti.
11. Cu lu dici tri voti a la dia
libbiratu iè di ogni mala via,
cu lu dici tri voti a li Santi
libbiratu iè di trona e di lampi.
12. Cu lu dici in ogni capizzu
libbiratu iè di ogni trimizzu
cu lu dici tri voti a la sira
‘mparadisu sinni ‘nchiana
cu la Vergini Maria.
13. Cu lu sapi e non lu dici
setti virgati di focu e di pici,
e cu lu senti e non lu ‘nsigna
setti virgati di focu e di ligna.
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Holy Prizzita
1. On the floor the holy Prizzita was prostrated
For the crucified Lord she was so weeping
In one hand she held a torch illuminated
And with the other a book she was reading.
2. This mystery, oh Christ, please clarify
To me reveal your holy and painful passion
The crucified Lord said in reply
On Saturday I’ill give the explanation.
3. The pains that he suffered he disclosed
The holy passion to Prizzita he narrated
When Judas his betrayal had revealed
With a slap in the face he was stricken.
4. Prizzita, semiconscious then collapsed
Her chest with painful tears was fully drenched
Prizzita of the man you are enamored
My promises your help now require.
5. Seven punches on his lip he did receive
To the garden tied he was conducted
One hundred soldiers vigilant remained
One hundred times to the ground collapsed.
6. Seven soldiers made their approach
With a chain one of them hit the Lord
And when his grieving mother did reproach
They gave him 65 slaps on his cheek.
7. The night that the Lord was flagellated
Three bones from his shoulders separated
Then Judas did impart a mortal blow
His veins became dry of their blood flow.
8. To Pilate and then to Caifa he was sent
A scarlet mantle of fine cloth he wore
Then Pilate walked on the terrace floor
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Prizzita Santa
1. Prizzita Santa ‘nginucchiuni stava
mentri lu Crucifissu chi ciancia
e cu na manu la torcia ddumava
cu l’otra manu u liburu liggia.
2. Strogghimi, Cristu la ma ‘ntinzioni
rivelimi la Santa Passioni,
allura u Crucificcu arrispunniu:
sabutu, Santa Prizzita parramu.
3. Ci cuntò li peni chi patiu
la Santa Passioni rivilau,
quannu lu Giuda Marcu lu tradiu
un grossu mmuffittuni ci vutau.
4. Prizzita cascò ‘nterra e stramurtiu
di lacrimi lu pettu si bagnau,
Prizzita si dill’omu ‘nnamurata
m’aia iutari a cu beni prumisi.
5. Setti pugna a lu labbru ci hannu datu
e finu all’ortu fu ligatu e offisu,
centu surdati s’affacciaru a iddu
centu voti cascau pi la via.
6. Poi s’avvicinaru sei surdati
unu chi lu battia cu na catina,
e pi parrari la Matri, mischina
iappi secentu e vinti muffuluni.
7. Dda stissa notti chi lu fracillaru
tri ossa di li spaddi ci nisceru,
Giuda ci tesi ‘na spinta murtali
ci hannu assiccatu li verni e li vini.
8. Unni Pilatu e Caifa fu mannatu
iavia un mantellu di scarlatu finu,
Pilatu s’affacciò di lu barcuni:
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Your vengeance has not yet made you content?
9. He is half dead, you now can let him free,
Is flagellated and dead he soon will be,
A bowl of water was brought to his balcony
And Pilate washed his hands thoroughly.
10. The Jewish crowd did no dare retort
Still pondering about his condemnation
When Jesus into their power did return
They quickly resumed his flagellation.
11.To his neck a heavy chain they did attach
By hand they pulled out all his hair
To mount Calvary he then was cruelly led
They followed with loud cries: we want him dead.
12. As he walked in the middle of the road
Down he fell under the heavy load
One thing to my heart brings great sadness
That Mary his sweet mother was a witness.
13. who a sinful life befriended
Who knows the holy Prizzita must recite
By whom it is not known it must be learned
So from the fires of hell may have respite;
Those who recite it three times in life
In heaven with mother Mary will reside.
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ancora ci nn’aviti a saziari?
9. È menzu mortu, lassatuli iri
è fragillatu e non pò cchiù campari
un vasu d’acqua si fici viniri
e li so mani si vosi lavari.
10. La turba di giudei non usaru diri
pinsannu comu u putiunu cunnannari,
ma quannu di novu l’ebburu ‘mputiri
di novu si minteru a fracillari.
11. ’Na catina a lu coddu ci attaccaru
e tutti li capiddi ci spinnaru,
poi a munti Calvariu lu ‘nchianaru
gridannu a vuci forti: mori, mori.
12. E quannu fu a mmenzu di la strada
cascò ‘nterra cu tutta la cruci,
‘na cosa assai mi nni dispiaci
chi appressu c’era la so Matri duci.
13. O piccaturi, o piccatrici
cu la Prizzita Santa sapi mi la dici,
cu non la sapi si la fa ‘nsignari
e peni d’inferno non ni patiravi,
cu la dici tri voti a la via
è ‘mparadisu cu madri Maria.
14. Cu la dici tri voti a la notti
è libiratu d’ogni mala morti
cu pi quaranta jorna la diravi
e cu la dici cu divozioni
ci dici un credu a la so morti e passioni.
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Holy Thursday’s Lament
1. As Friday morning was already dawning
Our holy mother started on her search
On her way with Saint John she had a meeting:
Mother of God whomever are you seeking?
2. My beloved son I seek in great despair
With him a white lily can’t compare,
To the house of Pilate you must go
That’s where they hold him as a foe.
3. Knock, knock, who is knocking at the door?
Your mother, for you I’m searching in deep pain
O mother , your request can’t be fulfilled
By Jewish leaders in chains I am detained.
4. Oh son, who have this hair so golden gleaming,
Mother, with the pulling there is none remaining
Go to the store where nails they can fashion
Tell them I need a couple for my Passion.
5. Not too large or heavy they should be
For they must go through this holy flesh
Not so large or thin they must be made
This gentle flesh will have to penetrate.
6. The evil doers responded swiftly
Large and pointed the nails have to be,
For Mary when these word she heard in fright
The sky, earth and the sea gave up their light.
7. Mary heard the words the tramps had spoken
Don’t hit so hard, his flesh is soft and gentle
Be quiet Mary and stop you lamentation
Or we leave Jesus and you will get his ration.
8. My son, from the cross you must descend
On earth your life your mother will defend
Mother please depart, your blessing give
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U Lamentu du Gioviddì Santu
1. Ora briscennu vennardì matina
la Matri Santa si misi ‘ncamminu
pi strada cìncuntroi San Giuvanni
ci dissi: Aunni annati Matri di Diu?
2. Vaiu circannu a lu me caru figghiu
chiddu ch’era chiù ghiancu di lu gigghiu,
‘nn’ati unni la casa di Pilatu
dda vui u truvati ‘ncatinatu.
3. Tuppi...tuppi, cu è ddocu?
sugnu a povira affritta di to Matri
o matri, matri, non vi pozzu apriri
chi li giudei mi tenunu ‘ncatinatu.
4. O figghiu, figghiu, capidduzzu d’oru
mamma, non ’naiu chiù, mi li sciupparu
‘nnati unni lu mastru di li chiova
faciticcinni fari un paru pi mia.
5. Non tanti ‘rossi e non tanti pisanti
ch’enna passari ‘nta ‘sti carni Santi,
non tanti ‘rossi e non tanti sottili
ch’enna passari ‘nta sti carni gintili.
6. E rispunneru li malifatturi
‘rossi e spuntati faciticcilli fari,
e Maria sintennu stu tirruri
scurò lu celu, la terra e lu mari.
7. E Maria sintia li spacciddati
non li dati tantu forti
chi su carni delicati.
zitta, zitta tu Maria lassu a Gesù e pigghiu a tia,
8. O figghiu, scinnitinni di ‘ssa cruci
ch’anterra c’è to mamma chi ti difenni,
o matri, matri binidicitimi e itibbinni
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The cross for my body has been intended.
9. Look at Christ and all his wounds observe
By the hands of Jewish people were produced
By Judas most of them had been inflicted
Who Pharisees and rioters commanded.
Tanina Cuccia, Analisi di un deicidio, tempera and egg on wooden plank da
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chi lu me corpu la cruci pritenni.
9. Vardati a Cristu e vardati ddi piaghi
chiddi ci l’ennu fattu li giudei,
Giuda tirannu ci nni fici assai
cumannava la turba e i farisei.
Tanina Cuccia, “Acheropita” Ricerca dei confini del sacro,
The illustrations in this section are from I Confini del Sacro, dall’icona all’icona. a show held in the
Tabularium of San Bartolomeo, Palermo. The three artists represented were Tanina Cuccia, Josif
Droboniku and Nicola Figlia. We thank the authors for sending us the book.
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Mary When She Was Nursing
1. Our Virgin Lady when she was a nursing
Our true Messiah she was breast-feeding,
On her knees with love he was being dressed
He was given milk and by her was blest.
2. When our Lord went out for a hike
Over a rocky trail he kept his stride
He carried on his shoulders a heavy log
The sign of the cross he had to bear.
3. And his sweet mother kept demanding
With this piece of wood what are you doing?
And Jesus with a heavy sigh retorted
On such a wood my soul will be departed.
4. And Mary cried with a painful tone
Judas, what do you want from my own?
I had a son who in my arms was raised
And now on the cross I see him nailed.
5. Mary with a loud scream her grief expressed
When her son’s death she had witnessed
What am I going to do so broken-hearted
When my white lily and rose has departed?
6. The evening all alone I stay at home
Without the loved lily who is my son
Celestial love, blessing of my soul
Without you I remain without console
For the love of all sinners everywhere
You died on the cross and tortured were.
7. At dawn, at dawn, the bells will be tolling
To heaven our Lord Jesus is all calling
To your name we make this supplication
A Hail Mary and Our Father we recite.
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A Madunnuzza Quannu Nutricava
1. A Madunnuzza quannu nutricava
nutricava lu veru Missia,
supri li ginuccheddi lu ‘nfasciava
latti ci dava e lu binidicia.
2. U Signuruzzu quannu caminava
e ‘nta li rocchi rocchi si nni ia
un pezzu di lignu ‘coddu si mmuttava,
lu segnu di la cruci si facia.
3. E la so dolci Matri ci spiava:
ca fari cu ssu lignu rosa mia?
iddu rispirannu ci parrava:
cca supra spirirà l’anima mia.
4. Maria jittò ‘na vuci e poi dissi:
Giuda supra la mia chi pritenni?
iavia un figghiu ch’inbraccia lu tinni
ora lu vidu alla cruci ch’inpenni.
5. Maria jittò na vuci supra lu scogghiu
quannu vitti moriri a so figghiu,
dissi: malu pi mia comu farogghiu?
persi la rosa e lu biancu gigghiu.
6. A sira sula sula mi ricogghiu
senza u gigghiu amatu di me figghiu,
figghiu di l’arma mia, cilesti amuri
figghiu senza di tia restu scuntenta,
e pi l’amuri di li peccaturi
muristi ‘ncruci cu tanti turmenti.
7. All’alba, all’alba la campana sona
Gesuzzu ‘ncelu a tutti nni chiama,
‘sta orazioni è ditta a nomu vostru
vi dicemu un’Ave Maria e un Patri Nostru.
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Dear Lord
1. When in the garden our Lord I came to see
I was one of the most cruel Pharisee
To nail you on the cross I went to aid
In your death with my hands I did partake.
2. Dear Lord, a true effort I never made
For my many sins to be redressed
Now that to you my sins I have confessed
I feel like the men who are now sinless.
Josif Droboniku, Madonna del Buonconsiglio, oil of wooden plank
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Signuruzzu
1. Signuruzzu, quannu all’ortu ti truvaiu
iò fu lu primu di li farisei,
iò mi mintii a la Cruci a vi ‘nchiuvaiu
morti vi desi cu li mani mei.
2. Iò, Signuruzzu, cunfissuri mai circai
pi cunfissari li piccati mei,
ora Signuri chi mi cunfissai
mi sentu comu l’omini
chi non hannu offisu mai.
Josif Droboniku, Cristo Pantocratore, Oil on wooden plank
O Sipurcu
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The Tomb
1.Holy tomb, which often has been visited
With blood you have been made clean
For two days you were washed
So us sinners you could redeem.
Nicola Figlia, Via Crucis, oil on canvas
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U Sipurcu
1. O Sipurcu visitatu
chi di sangu fustu lavatu
fustu lavatu pi quarantottu uri
pi nuiautri peccaturi.
Nicola Figlia,
Madre della Misericordia,
oil on wooden plank
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Arti Siciliana
U pitturi di carretti siciliani
Di Elisa Giacalone
Capiddi ianchi, occhi surridenti e baffi assai simpatichi: è Filici Scirè
pinsiunatu campubiddisi, pitturi di carretti siciliani.
Havi quasi sittant’anni ma spriggiuna na energia invidiabili.
Cû pinseddu ntê mani e u faddari lordu di culura nni invita a ntrasiri ntâ
so casa. E subitu si vidi n’esplosioni di culura!
Ci sunu quatri pittati d’iddu supra tutti i mura, tubbetti di culura menzu
aperti iccati supra u taulu unni travagghia, pinseddi di ogni misura, tavulozzi e
poi ntô cantuni dâ stanza a so granni passioni: i carretti siciliani. Na para sunu
pronti pi cunsignari ê ccattaturi, unu aspetta di essiri finutu e poi un mudellu
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Sicilian Art
The Painter of Sicilian Carts
by Elisa Giacalone
Translated by Suzy Erichsen
White hair, smiling eyes and a very nice moustache: the painter of Sicilian
handcarts is a happy, retired man from Campobello. He is almost 70 years old
and very energetic!
With the brush between his hands and a messy apron, he invited us into
his house. Here we find an explosion of colors! His paintings cover the walls,
colors scattered on his work table, brushes of every measure, palettes ... and
then in the corner of the room his biggest passion: the Sicilian handcarts. Some
are ready to be delivered to there buyers, and others are waiting to be completed, and then a scaled model reserved for an emigrant, whose destiny has
pushed him far from his country. At home he will be able to observe it,
imagine what Sicily was like in this time, its views, its mysterious perfumes, and
distance.
In the banks, in the wheels, in every part we find the colors of the wonderful Sicilian sun. There is a personality, a story, tradition, mythology, and
history, all depicted on this Sicilian cart. It is a true story, an illustrated book!
Our friend is our guide through his house which resembles an art gallery.
We follow him and he shares with us his dreams; to one it seems to be a
collection of old newspapers. We are unable to read them from a distance ...
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nicu nicu in scala ca pari di essiri risirvatu pi quacchi emigranti, a unu ca u
distinu spinciu di irisinni luntanu dâ so terra. Arrivatu a casa pò taliarlu megghiu
e vardannulu pò sentiri tutta a so Sicilia, vidiri i so viduti duri, i so profumi
mistiriusi e a so luntananza.
Ntê cianchi, ntê roti e in ogni parti singula si trovanu i culura dû
miravigghiusu suli sicilianu. Sunu pittati puru pirsunaggi c’appartenunu a
tradizioni dî cavaleri, a mitologia, a storia. Pari un veru libru di storia figurata
ambulanti.
U nostru amicu nni fa di Ciciruni nta dda casa ca pari na gallaria d’arti.
Niautri l’accumpagnamu e iddu nni mustra i so traguardi: nta nu muru ci sunu
ritagghi di vecchi giurnali. Nun li putemu leggiri e nni avvicinamu. I titula sunu
scritti in tedescu.
Si avvicina e nni dici: “Haiu avutu successu nta me vita e haiu giratu lu
munnu—nni dici cu orgogliu nta l’occhi. Haiu campatu ntâ Svizzira, nt’America
ma appi i chiù granni soddisfazioni nta l’Australia. Ddà vinniu tutti i me quatri
nta pochi jorna e divintaiu assai pupulari.”
Turnamu ê so origini. Filici Scirè figghiu d’arti, a deci anni manifestau
interessi pâ pittura, passannu tuttu u so tempu cu so patri. “Fu iddu ca mi rialau
u libru dâ Gerusalemmi Libbirata senza immagini. Ogni jornu mi faceva leggiri
na para di paggini e dopu du uri vineva e mi diceva di disignari nzoccu avia
liggiutu. Circava di tracciari l’espressioni ntê facci, l’azioni...a fantasia avia a
vulari pi forza, ma quacchi vota vulavanu puru certi lampiuni nta facci.”
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so we get closer. The titles are written in German! He approaches and tells us
with pride in his eyes.
“I have traveled the world and have had a lot of success” I have lived in
Switzerland and America, but it is in Australia that I have had the greatest
satisfactions. “It is there that I have sold all of my pictures in a few days, and
have collected popularity.”
Let’s discover his roots, his origin.
Felice Scire, the son of an artist, when only ten years old showed an
interest in a painting; he was always with his father. “ He gave me a gift, the
book of “Gerusalemme Liberata” without images” Everyday he made me
read a few pages and after two hours, I was told to close the book and draw
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“A manu è cchiù rossa dâ testa, unni sunu i proporzioni—mi gridava me
patri. Oggi a distanza di cinquant’anni û ringrazziu picchì è a iddu ca io devu u
me successu.”
L’aria di primavera nni fa nesciri di casa e nni lassamu arreri li spaddi un
veru arcubalenu. Parchiggiata davanti a casa c’e’ ne vecchia Chevrolet longa tri
metri e sissanta. Un capulavoru!
“Accattaiu sta machina nta l’Australia, ntô 1964. Vuleva pittarla comu un
carrettu e poi ntô 1992 ci rinisciu.” Filici viaggiau pi li strati di Zurigu e di
Sidney guidannu a so machina e evucannu curiusità e meravigghia.
“A machina funziona ancora pirfettamenti,” ci teni a pricisari.
“Quanto tempu ci misi pi pittarla?” Ci dumannamu curiusi.
“Tri msi chini.”
A cura di particulari e dî dettagghi è surprinnenti.
“Haiu campatu e campu ancora sempri cu pinseddu ntê mani. E’ comu
na droga!” dici. “Di notti mi iazzu pi pittari. Macari mi veni l’ispirazioni e me
muggheri mi vidi susiri ntô menzu dâ notti mi dici, ‘Ma chi ssi pazzu?’”
Filici Scirè è nnamuratu dû so travagghiu, dâ so arti.
“A pittura è a me amanti, è me matri, me muggheri. Si mi uffrissiru tuttu
u munnu, si un diaulu mi dassi tuttu, cci dicissi ‘vattinni, mi tegnu a me pittura.’”
I giurnali spicializzati hannu parratu d’iddu, i so opiri sunu prisenti ntê
pinacotechi, enti pubblichi e privati. U so nnomi fiura ntê annuari e cataloghi
d’arti muderna e cuntemporanea cchiù qualificati. “I so opiri nun pritennunu d’
aviri missaggi o di rivilari l’intimu di l’artista. E’ na pittura semplici, onesta,
piacevuli ca dimustra na eccezzionali sinsibilità e patrunanza dâ tavulozza.”
Accussì parra la critica.
Si u numiru di opiri vinnuti rapprisenta un sinonimu di successu, Scirè ha
avutu tuttu u successu ca miritava pirchì quasi tutti i so quattri hannu statu
vinnuti.
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the story that I had read. I had to search for facial expressions, actions ... the
strength, of the fantasy, “.and at certain times things were flying!
My father would shout at me; “the hand is bigger than the head! Where
are the proportions? Today, fifty years later, I owe my success to him.
The spring breeze flows through the house and we leave behind an awesome rainbow of color. Outside there is a car parked, an old Chevrolet, three
meters and sixty, a masterpiece! “I bought this car in ’64 in Australia. I wanted
to paint it like a cart one day and finally I succeeded in doing so in 1992;” Felice
Scire has driven his car in the streets of Zurich and Sidney evoking great curiosity and surprise. Does the car work perfectly? He’s obliged to specify. I pry.
“How long did it take to paint it?”
“A full three months.”
It’s surprising, the minute care he takes to particulars. “I have lived and
continue to live with a brush in my hands. It is like a drug for me. At night I get
up to paint, when I have the inspiration. My wife who sees me get out of bed
in the middle of the night asks me, “Are you crazy?”.
Felice Scire is in love with his work. “ Painting is my mistress, my mother
and bride. If an angel or demon said, give me your paintings and you can
change the world in return. I would tell him to leave, I’ll keep my painting.”
His work appears in collections, private and public corporations and is documented in the more qualified year books and catalogs of modern and contemporary art. “His works do not pretend to have messages or reveal the
artist’s self. His paintings are honest, simple, pleasing and show exceptional
sensitivity and mastery of the palette.” This is the voice of a critic. If the
number of works sold can consider him a synonym of the success of a painter,
Scire has had all the success he deserved because almost all of his paintings
have been sold.
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A nostra Lingua/Our Language
Sicilian Proverbs
Compiled by Monsignor Richard S. Amico
Proverbiu anticu, Vangelu nicu
(The ancient proverb is a little Gospel)
Cu pati pi l’amuri nun senti duluri
Whoever suffers for love, feels no pain.
Veni tempu e porta cunsigghiu
With time comes a solution.
Avanti focu a la casa ca giustizzia a la porta.
Better fire in the house than justice (the police) at the door.
Ci sunnu matri, matruzzi, e matrazzi.
There are mothers, sweet mothers and terrible mothers.
Cu pridica a li surdi apppizza lu sirmuni.
Whoever tries to preach to the deaf, wastes his sermon.
E’ veru surdu chiddu ca non voli sentiri.
He is truly deaf who doesn’t want to hear.
Di l’amicu fintu mi nni guardi Diu, ca di li nimici ci pensu iu.
May Good protect me from a false friend, for I know how to guard
against my enemies.
Cu cu patri e u matri è ubbidienti, campa riccu, filici e cuntenti.
Whoever heed both father and mother will be rich, happy and contented.
L’apprinsioni è chiù tinta di la malatia.
Fear of sickness is worse than the disease.
Cu pratica e nun nsigna o è sceccu o è signa.
Arba Sicula XXIX
130
He who does not learn from his experiences, is either a donkey or a
monkey.
Cu paga li grana avanti mancia pisci fitenti.
Whoever pays in advance will eat stinking fish.
Lu poviru e malatu non havi parintatu.
The poor and the sick have no relatives.
Mitti lu pani a li denti ca la fami s’arrisenti.
Start putting some food in your mouth and soon you’ll begin to feel
hungry.
Cu taci accunsenti.
Whoever remains silent gives consent.
A lu cantari l’aceddu, a lu parrari lu ciriveddu.
The bird reveals itself by singing and a person shows his intelligence by
talking.
Arrivatu a la quarantina veni un mali ogni matina
Once you get top 40, every morning brings a different pain.
A facci irata, teni la vucca sirrata.
Keep your mouth shut when you encounter someone angry.
A paisi unni chi vai, comu vidi fari fai.
Respect the customs of the place you’re visiting.
Petra tirata e palora ditta non ponnu turnari arreri.
Once a stone has been hurled and a word spoken, they can never be
withdrawn.
Ogni mpidimentu è giuvamentu.
Every hindrance has its advantages.
Geniu fa biddizza e no biddizza amuri.
It’s character that makes for real beauty and not beauty that bring on
love.
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La prima si pirduna, la secunna si cunnanna, ma la terza si bastuna.
One pardons the first time, chastises the second time but the third time
calls for a beating.
Ognunu sapi cunsigghiari dopu lu fattu.
Everyone knows what advice to give after the fact.
Jocu di manu, jocu di viddanu.
Rough play is a boorish sport.
Cu nasci bedda nasci maritata.
Whoever is born beautiful is born already married.
Lu beni si canusci quannu si perdi.
You often appreciate a good person or thing when you’ve lost them.
Avanti di canusciri l’amicu, s’avi a manciari na sarma di Sali.
It takes a long time to know who you friends are. (Like eating 600 pounds
of salt with him).
L’addivari fa l’amuri.
It’s the rearing that brings love.
Ogni figghiu a so mamma pari beddu.
Every child appears beautiful to his mother.
Megghiu chianciri lu figghiu ca lu patri.
Better to mourn for a son than for his father.
Du cosi non si vinninu in chiazza: onuri e saluti.
Two things cannot be bought in the market square: honor and health.
Cu pratica cu lu zoppu, supra l’annu zuppichia.
Whoever keeps company with the lame, after a year begins to limp himself.
A cavaddu datu nun circari la sedda.
If someone gives you a horse don’t ask for the saddle to boot.
Megghiu na vota arrussicari ca centu voti aggiarniari.
Better to get your anger out of yur system once and for all , than to keep
it in and slowly suffer a hundred rages.
Arba Sicula XXIX
132
Ogni cosa è possibbili, eccettu l’omini preni.
Everything is possible except pregnant men.
Ogni jocu dura pocu e si dura è siccatura.
A prank sould be short lived, otherwise it becomes a nuisance.
Li jidita di la manu nun sunu pari.
The fingers of a hand ar not all equal. (You can’t expect uniformity or
equality in life.)
Tintu ddu patri ca nun è timutu.
Inept is the father who is not feared.
Cu ssi guverna da se stissu, spissu sgarra.
Who never seeks advice of others, will often err.
A cursa longa, lu bon cavaddu pari.
A good horse proves itself after a long race. (It takes time to judge
someone.)
Cu è arsu di l’acqua cauda, veni la fridda e lu scauda.
If you’ve been burnt by hot water, even cold water frightens you.
Nun è l’abitu ca fa lu monacu.
It isn’t the robe that makes the monk.
Una manu lava l’autra e tutti i ddui lavana la facci.
It takes one hand to wash another and both to was one’s face.
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Arba Sicula XXIX
Cucina siciliana
Joan Peterson e Marcella Croce, Eat Smart in Sicily, $13.95 plus $2
shipping. Ginkgo Press, P.O. Box 5346, Madison, Wisconsin 53705
Recensioni di Scott Clemens (Epicurean-Traveler)
A Sicilia è na pignata unni tutti i culturi dû Miditerraniu si mmiscarunu
duranti a so storia. Cu tutti li nfuenzi finici, grechi, rumani, arabi, nurmanni,
tideschi e francisi, assittarisi pi manciari a Palermu voli diri assai cchiù di ntrasiri
ntâ na tratturia
qualunqui. Si unu
canusci e apprenni
dicchiù supra u
manciari e a storia dâ
Sicilia a so visita a
l’isula po’ essiri assai
cchiù piacevuli e ricca.
E’ chiddu ca u nostru
jurnali rapprisenta e
chistu è puru chiddu
ca rapprisentanu i
guidi intitulati Eat
Smart ca sunu fatti
apposta pi chiddi ca
vonnu
manciari
sapennu chi ssi
mancia e comu veni
priparatu u pranzu.
U libru Eat
Smart
di
Joan
Peterson e di Marcella
Croce è chiù di na
traduzioni di nu menu
tipicu sicilianu. I
primi vinti paggini di
sta guida di 145
paggini sunnu didicati
â storia dâ Sicilia, cu
Arba Sicula XXIX
134
Sicilian Cuisine
Joan Peterson e Marcella Croce, Eat Smart in Sicily, $13.95 plus $2
shipping. Ginkgo Press, P.O. Box 5346, Madison, Wisconsin 53705
Review by Scott Clemens (Epicurean-Traveler)
Sicily is the melting-pot of the Mediterranean, having Phoenician, Greek,
Roman, Arabic, Norman, Germanic and French influences, and sitting down
to a meal in Palermo is much more than stopping in at the local fast food
franchise. Learning more about the food and history of Sicily will make your
visit so much richer. It’s Epicurean Traveler is all about, and it’s where the Eat
Smart guides excel.
TOP LEFT Forming
caciocavllo, a mild cow’s
milk cheese that is stretched
and shaped by hand into a
pear shape with a knob on top.
TOP RIGHT
Mimma and Mercurio
Carbone baking hand-made
traditional round bread,
(muffuletta), in their woodburning oven in Piana degli
Albanesi.
MIDDLE
Sedanini ai frutti di mare,
seafood with pasta named
“little celery pieces” because of
its resemblance to celery stalks,
cooked at Ristorante Sicilia in
Bocca alia Marina, Catania.
BOTTOM
Polpette in foglie di
limone, veal meatballs
wrapped in lemon leaves,
served at Azienda Agricola
Trinità, an agriturismo in
Mascalucia.
135
Arba Sicula XXIX
particulari enfasi supra i tanti cunquistaturi ca ebbiru n’effettu o menu supra a
cucina. Forsi a culpa è di comu s’insigna a storia nta l’università, o forsi è pi lu
modu intelligenti di scriviri pi parti di li auturi, ma io capiu chiossai supra a
storia siciliana e i su vari occupaturi nta stu libru di quantu nun avia caputu
liggennu guidi pi viaggiaturi o friquintannu un cursu di civiltati occidintali a
l’università.
Autri sezioni dû libru spieganu u manciari lucali, ntê pruvinci dâ Sicilia,
comu si fannu li spisi ntê mircati siciliani, frasi utili pi usari ntê risturanti e na
guida abbunnanti pî menu. Ci sunu infini 28 rizzetti siciliani nta stu libru ca
priparanu u viaggiaturi pî sapuri di l’isula accussì unu ca ci voli iri già sapi cchî
manciari.
Parti libbru di frasi utili, parti libbru di cucina, di viaggi, ogni volumi dâ
serii Eat Smart è a guida pirfetta pû viaggiaturi epicureu.
Stu libru si po’ ccattari di l’edituri, Amazon.com e ntê libbrarii miricani.
Purpetti ntê fogghi di lumiuni
Sta rizzetta nna desi Annamaria Simili, coca e maestra di cucina nta
l’Azienda Agricola Trinità di Mascalucia. n’agriturismu o n’albergu situatu supra i faddi orientali di l’Etna ntâ pruvincia di Catania. L’agriturismu pussedi un
granni giardinu di lumiuni in modu ca i lumiuni e i fogghi sunu sempri dispunibili.
12 UNZI DI CAPULIATU DI VITEDDU
2 UNZI DI PANI RATTATU, BAGNATU NANTICCHIA CU ACQUA E
UN OVU.
1 UNZA DI FURMAGGIU PARMIGIANU RATTATU E NA SCOCCIA DI
LUMIUNI
20 FOGGHI DI LUMIUNI FRISCHI, DI GRANNIZZA UGUALI A 12
CENTIMETRI, 2/3 DI BICCHIERI DI VINU IANCU SICCU
4 CUCCHIARATI DI SUCU DI LUMIUNI FRISCU, E 5 CUCCHIARATI DI
DI OGGHIU D’ALIVA.
Ammiscati u viteddu cu pani rattatu, l’ovu, u furmaggiu e a cosccia di
lumiuni nta nu ciotoula fnsina ca sunu beddi amalgamti. Furmati pallottuliddi
granni quantu na nuci e daticci a forma di nu ovali chiattu. Ammugghiatilu cu
i fogghi di lumiuni e mintiticci nu sticchinu pi tinirili fermi. Facitili rusulari nta
l’ogghiu nzinu a quannu a carni esposta si coci canciannu culuri, circa 5 minuti.
I fogghi diventanu scuri ntê lati. Iunciticci u vinu, u sucu di lumiuni e l’ogghiu
e mintiticci supra u cuperchiu pi deci minuti. I fogghi non si mancianu.
Nun sustituiticci fogghi di lumii Kafir o fogghi di salal l’arburu di fogghi
di lumiuni.
Arba Sicula XXIX
136
Eat Smart in Sicily, by Joan Peterson and Marcella Croce, is much more
than the translation of a typical Sicilian menu. The first 20 pages of this 145page guide are devoted to the history of Sicily, with the particular focus on
how various conquerors affected (or didn’t affect) the cuisine. Whether its an
indictment of the way history is taught in college, or a validation of the fine
writing provided by the authors, Eat Smart in Sicily explained more about Sicilian history and its various occupiers, than I had gleaned from reading travel
guidebooks, or taking History of Western Civilization in college.
Other sections explain local foods, provinces within Sicily, shopping the
food markets of Sicily, helpful phrases to use in a restaurant, and an extensive
menu guide. You’ll also find 28 Sicilian recipes here, so you can get a flavor of
the island before you go there.
Part phrase book, part cookbook, part travel book, each Eat Smart guide
is the perfect guide for the Epicurean Traveler.
Books are available from the publisher, from amazon.com or bookstores
around the country.
Veal meatballs wrapped in lemon leaves.
This recipe was provided by Annamaria Simili, chef and cooking instructor
at Azienda Agricola Trinità in Mascalucia, an agriturismo or rural B&B located
on the eastern slope of Mt. Etna in the province of Catania. The agriturismo
includes a large lemon orchard, so fresh lemons and lemon leaves are always
close at hand.
12 OUNCES GROUND VEAL
2 OUNCES BREAD CRUMBS, MOISTENED WITH WATER 1 EGG
1 OUNCE GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE ZEST OF ONE LEMON
20 FRESH LEMON LEAVES, 5 INCHES LONG” 213 CUP DRY WHITE
WINE
4 TABLESPOONS FRESH LEMON JUICE 5 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL
Mix veal, bread crumbs, egg, cheese and zest together in a bowl until well
blended. Form walnut-size balls and flatten each into an oval. Wrap a lemon
leaf around each oval and secure ends with a toothpick. Saute in olive oil until
exposed meat is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. The leaves will brown at the
edges. Add wine, lemon juice and oil, and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. The
leaves should not be eaten.
Do not substitute kafir lime leaves or leaves from salal, the lemon leaf
plant.
137
Arba Sicula XXIX
Sicily: Culinary Crossroads, By Giuseppe Coria, tradottu di Gaetano
Cipolla. New York: Oronzo Editions, 208 Pages, $24.95
Recensioni di Anthony Pagano
rba Sicula ricivi assai libbra di cucina e specialmenti di chiddi ca
trattanu a cucina siciliana e mi pari giustu diri ca a maggior parti
di chiddi ca niautri ham’â recensitu nta sti paggini hannu statu
ottimi escursioni nta ddu vastu e variatu munnu ca è cucina siciliana. Forsi
A
picchì a Sicilia ha statu invasa di tanti genti diffirenti ca s’hannu purtatu dappressu
i so abitudini culinarii e i so prodotti non c’è un libru ca pò copriri tutti l’aspetti
dâ cucina siciliana. Ognunu dî libbra ca ham’â recensitu ha contribbuitu nu
pezzu dû musaicu e u libru ca vi stamu prisintannu nun pritenni di copriri tutta
a cucina di l’isula. Anzi u titulu origginali di stu volumi era La cucina della Sicilia
orientale ca era forse un modu di ammettiri ca e’ quasi mpossibili ca un libru
sulu pozza discriviri tutta a Sicilia. Un secunnu libru didicatu a cucina dâ Sicilia
Arba Sicula XXIX
138
Sicily: Culinary Crossroads, By Giuseppe Coria, translated by
Gaetano Cipolla. New York: Oronzo Editions, 208 Pages, $24.95
Recensioni di Anthony Pagano
rba Sicula receives many Italian cookbooks and especially those
that deal with Sicilian cuisine and it’s fair that say that many of
the ones we have reviewed in these pages have been excellent
excursions into that vast and varied world that constitutes Sicilian cooking.
Perhaps because Sicily has had so many different people come to its shore who
brought their eating habits and their products no one single book can expect
to cover all aspects of Sicilian cuisine. Each of the books we have reviewed has
contributed a piece of the mosaic, and the book we are about to introduce to
you does not pretend to cover all of the island’s cuisine. In fact the title of the
A
original work was La cucina della Sicilia orientale which was probably an
acknowledgement by the author that a single book cannot possibly cover everything. A second book, dedicated to the cooking on the western part of
Sicily, was planned but the author never completed it. We are very thankful
however, that he finished the first book which is a masterful and authoritative
139
Arba Sicula XXIX
occidintali avia statu pruggittatu ma non fu mai cumplitatu. Semu grati all’auturi pi
aviri finutu stu volumi picchì è n’escursioni auturevuli e fatta cu maistria ntâ cucina
dî pruvinci orientali, vali a diri di Missina, Catania, Siracusa e Ragusa. L’edizioni
taliana di stu libru divintau un classicu dâ cucina siciliana e Polly Franchini dicidiu
di pubblicarlu ntâ so serii chiamata Italy’s Food Culture, ntâ traduzioni eccellenti dû
prufissuri Gaetano Cipolla. U risultatu è un volumi ca dumanna di essiri pigghiatu
e purtatu a casa. Arba Sicula ca havi interessi di prisirvari a lingua siciliana si cumpiaci
a vidiri ca tutti i rizzetti nta stu libru hannu u nomu sicilianu, cuntrariamenti a
quantu fannu autri libbra di cucina ca usanu nomi taliani pî specialità siciliani.
D’accussì nta ssi libbra ddu piattu sicilianu pi eccellenza “pasta chî sardi” diventa
“pasta con le sarde.” Ma chista non fussi certamenti na ragiuni sufficienti pi vuliri
stu libru nta vostra cullezioni. Ci sunu autri ragiuni assai chiù determinanti
p’accattarivi stu libru. Prima di tuttu picchì non si tratta sulu di cullezioni di rizzetti,
comu l’auturi ni avvisa a l’iniziu. Pi capiri a cucina siciliana, l’auturi manteni, unu ha
bisognu di sapiri tanti cosi supra u sfunnu storicu, i tradizioni e a genti ca produciu
u manciari. D’accussì stu libru è na esplorazioni dâ storia culinaria e culturali dâ
Sicilia, cu ncursioni ntâ mitologia, antropologia, lingua e folklori. Giuseppe Coria
didicau a so vita a esplorari u manciari dâ Sicilia. Iddu fu u primu a nbuttigghiari
ddu vinu DOCG ca si chiama Cerasuolo di Vittoria ntâ so cantina di Villa Fontane
a Ragusa.
U libru segui nu schema pi tutti li quattru pruvinci. Dopu n’ampia
introduzioni â cucina siciliana, Coria scrivi na introduzioni pi ogni città, facennu
capiri i punti essenziali pi ognuna e i so carattiristichi generali. Pi ogni città i
rizzetti sunu poi raggruppati secunnu sti dinominazioni: Primi piatti, Piatti di
pisci, Piatti di carni, Frutta e virdura, Cosi duci e Vini i liquori. Pi cchistu, u
libru è nu studiu cumparatu dâ cucina siciliana ca non escludi città comu Palermu
o Trapani, puru ca chisti nun sunu prisintati formalmenti. A canuscenza di
Coria è vasta e pò spaziari macari nta l’autri città. Coria offri puru annutazioni
ca cuntenunu fatticeddi ntirissanti supra i rizzetti ca sta discrivennu iuncennu a
so prisintazioni prufunnità e prospettiva.
Chiaramenti chistu è un volumi ca tutti chiddi ca amanu u manciari sicilianu
, e ovviamenti includi a maggior parti di cu leggi sta ricinsioni, avissiru aviri ntâ
so casa. U libru è prisintatu elegantementi dû puntu di vista graficu a cuminciari
dâ cupertina attraenti finu a ogni paggina di dintra. I fotografii dâ Sicilia e dî
prodotti sunu apprupriati pi li suggetti e beni pusiziunati. Liggennu stu libru
certamenti evuca in chiddi ca non hannu mai visitatu a Sicilia u disidderiu di
iricci cu prossimu tour di Arba Sicula e in chiddi ca ci hannu statu, u disidderiu
di riturnaricci u chiù prestu possibili secunnu i so mezzi finanziari e di travagghiu.
P’accattari na copia scriviti a Oronzo Editions, 11 West 30th Street, Suite
R, New York, NY 10001 or write to www.oronzoeditions.com
Arba Sicula XXIX
140
excursion into the cuisine of the eastern provinces of Sicily, namely Messina,
Catania, Siracusa and Ragusa and the some of the towns in the same provinces.
The Italian edition of the book became a classic of Sicilian cooking and Polly
Franchini who recognized that this was a special book decided to publish it as one
of her books in the Italy’s food culture series, in professor Gaetano Cipolla’s excellent translation. The result is a volume that beckons to be picked up and brought
home. Arba Sicula whose interest in preserving the Sicilian language is part of its
mission is pleased to see that all the recipes in this book have a Sicilian name, unlike
some other books where Italian titles are used to name Sicilian specialties. Thus in
such books that quintessential Sicilian dish “pasta chî sardi” becomes “pasta con le
sarde”. But that of course would not be sufficient reason to want this book in your
library. There are other more compelling reasons for wanting to buy this book.
First of all because it is not just a collection of recipes, as the author himself
declares at the outset. In order to understand Sicilian cuisine, the author maintains,
you need to know a great deal about the historical background, the traditions, and
the people who produced the food. Thus this books is an exploration of the
culinary and cultural history of Sicily, with forays into mythology, anthropology,
language, and folklore. Mr. Coria dedicated his life to exploring the island’s food.
He was the first to bottle the Cerasuolo di Vittoria from his winery Villa Fontane
in Ragusa.
The book follows a pattern for each of the four provinces treated. After
an ample introduction to Sicilian cuisine Mr. Coria writes an introduction to
each city highlighting the primary points of interest for each and its essential
character. For each city, the recipes are grouped around the theme of First
dishes, Fish dishes, Meat dishes, Fruits and Vegetables, Desserts, and Wines
and Liqueurs. The book is thus a comparative study of Sicilian cuisine that
does not exclude cities such as Palermo, or Trapani, even though they are not
treated formally. Mr. Coria’s knowledge encompasses the whole island’s fare.
The book is also annotated with interesting facts about the recipe he is describing that add depth and perspective to the presentation.
Clearly this is a must for all those who love Sicilian food and that obviously includes most of the readers of this review. The book is also presented
very well from the graphic point of view, from the attractive cover to every
page inside the book. The photographs of Sicily and of Sicilian products are
well chosen and appropriate for the subject. Reading the book will surely evoke,
in those who have never been to Sicily, the desire to take the next tour of Arba
Sicula and in those who have been there, to return as quickly as your finances
and work allow.
To get your copy write to Oronzo Editions, 11 West 30th Street, Suite R,
New York, NY 10001 or write to www.oronzoeditions.com
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Arba Sicula XXIX
Pasta ccû niuru dî sicci (e rìpiddu nivicatu)
Si tratta di pasta ccu niuru di sicci. E non c’è ca è u niuru cuntinuti nto
sacchittu du molluscu a daricci u tipicu sapuri a sta specialità. Pi capirlu
chairamenti bastassi priparari i dui piatta un cu niuru e l’autru snza u niuru .
Ingredienti
1/4 di cipudda rattata
1 libbra di spaghetti
1 chilu di sicci
Sacchiceddi di niuru
2 spicchi d’agghiu
Pitrusinu tritatu
Strattu di pumadoru
1/2 chilu di pumadoru
Spezzi
Ogghiu
Sali
Faciti sfrigulari nta na padedda cu l’ogghiu du spichi d’agghiu e un
pizzuddu di cipudda rattata; iunciticci a stu puntu un chilu di sicci già pulizziati
e tagghiati a pizzudda, nsemmula cu pitrusinu tagghiuzzatu e u spezzi. Dopu
quacchi minutu, iunciticci na cucchiaredda di strattu di pumadoru, 250 grammi
di purpa di pumadoru fatti e u sali (non ci iunciti acqua picchì i sicci stissi
ieccanu acqua).
Continuati a cociri a cuntari circa 25 minuti di quannu cumincia a bugghiri,
a stu puntu sulu si iuncinu i sacchiceddi dû niuru ca avianu ristatu di parti.
Cuntrullati u sali, ammiscati tuttu pi beni e livatilu di supra u focu.
I sicci accussì priparati insemmula cu tutti l’autri cosi si iunciunu poi pi
cunzari i spaghetti ma ponnu essiri un secunnu piattu si i pezzi di siccia sunu
tagghiati chiù ranni.
Varianti
Na specialità catanisa è u piattu chiamatu ripiddu nivicatu. Si tratta dû stissu
condimentu ca inveci di spaghetti stavota fa divintari niuru u risu ca veni
prisintatu comu un conu rovesciatu supra di lu quali si iunci na cucchiarata di
ricotta, mintennuci supra a tuttu nanticchia di sarsa. A simbologia di stu piattu
è chiara: autru non è ca l’Etna chi so ripiddi, a sciara niuroncia di supra, e u
focu ca nesci di ogni banna.
Arba Sicula XXIX
142
Pasta with Squid Ink
Pasta ccû niuru dî sicci (e rìpiddu nivicatu)
This dish features the black “ink” taken from squid. There is no doubt
that the ink is what gives this dish its distinctive flavor. A comparison between
sauces prepared with and without the contents of the ink sac will reveal all.
Ingredients
1/4 medium onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, chopped
A few tablespoons olive oil
2 1/4 pounds squid, cleaned and cut into small pieces
Chopped parsley
Tomato paste [suggest 1 tablespoon]
1/2 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
Ink sacs removed from the squid
Pepper
Salt
1 pound spaghetti [cooked and drained]
In a large skillet or pot, gently fry a piece of grated onion and garlic in
olive oil. Add the squid and parsley, and pepper to taste. After a few minutes
add the tomato paste and tomatoes. Salt to taste. (Do not add water, as the
squid will release liquid.) After coming to a boil, continue cooking for 25 minutes and only at this final stage add the contents of the ink sacs. Taste for
seasoning, stir the ink through, and remove from the heat. Dress the spaghetti
with the sauce. Serve as a main course with the squid sliced into larger pieces.
Variations
Rìpiddu nivicatu, snow-capped risotto, a specialty of Catania is prepared in
a similar fashion. This is rice cooked in the same sauce and which is shaped
into a cone, topped with a spoonful of ricotta and a dash of tomato sauce. The
symbolism is clear, the dish represents Mt Etna, the black rice the lava stones
the ricotta its snowy cap and the tomato the fiery lava erupting.
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Arba Sicula XXIX
Kathleen Citrolo Gwinnett Returning from
latest Sicilian travels October 2008
Visit her website of Sicilian watercolor paintings,
travel tips and stories. www.gwinnett-art.com
“I will paint images of your family’s Sicilian village,
church, or homeplace. l1x15 inch watercolor $150.
Enjoy hearing about your Sicilian connection”
[email protected]
Arba Sicula XXIX
144
Libbra ricivuti/ Books Received
Ancora Lumie della Sicilia, (Antologia poetica in lingua siciliana e italiana), Hamilton,
Ontario: Hamilton Trinacria Asssociation, 2008.
Bagheria: Gente, Natura, Architettura, Turismo, Tradizioni popolari,Bagheria: Pro Loco
Giovanni Lo Medico, 2006.
Umberto Balistreri & Carlo Pollaci, I mercati del centro storico di Palermo, Palermo: Istituto
Siciliani Studi Politici ed Economici, 2008.
—— Puntali e dintorni: la riserva naturale integrale, Palermo: ISPE Archimede editrice,
2005.
Pietro Barbera, Il tempo sospeso, Palermo: Thule, 2003.
Tanino Bonifacio e Gori Sparacino, Parco Culturale Terre Sicane, Palermo: Krea, 2007.
Tommaso Bordonaro, La Spartenza, Palermo: Edizioni Off, 207
Natalia Tricomi Calì, L’albero di Millicucco: Storia di un bambino siciliano. Palermo, 2007.
Aurelio Caliri & Salvatore Camilleri, La Barunissa di Carini, Siracusa: Edizioni Arte e
Musica, 2007.
Licia Cardillo, Fiori di Aloe, Racconti, Palermo: LIS Publisher, 1996.
——-Il giacobino della sambuca, Roma: Editori Riuniti, 2000.
Ezio Costanzo, The Mafia and the Allies, Sicily 1943 and the Return of the Mafia, New
York: Enigma Books, 2007.
Graziella d’Achille, et al, Archetipi dell’uni verso, Palermo: Nuova Ipsa Editore, 2006.
Nicolò D’Alessandro, Francesco Carbone: Antologia di saggi critici ed altre occasioni, Palermo:
L’altro Artecontemporanea, 2007.
Rosetta D’Angelo & Barbara Zaczek, Resisting Bodies: Narratives of Italian Partisan Women,
Chapel Hill, NC: Annali D’Italianistica, 2008.
Nino Del Duca, “Io stongo ‘e casa ‘America, Napoli: Lettere italiane Guida, 2005.
Emanuel di Pasquale, Na vota..., Ragusa: Editrice Barone e Bella, 2005.
Nino Famà, La stanza segreta, Palermo: Salvatore Sciascia Editore, 2004.
Luciano Garibaldi, Mussolini: The Secrets of his Death, New York: Enigma Books 2004.
Mario Gori, Ogni jornu ca passa ogni jornu ca veni, Comune di Niscemi, 2006.
Giuseppe Gulino & Donatella La Rocca, Il dialetto siciliano nei testi odeporici del Settecento,
Lugano: Agorà Publishing, 2006.
Salvatore J. Lagumina, The Humble and the Heroic, Wartime Italian Americans, Youngstown,
NY: Cambria Press, 2006.
Giovanna Bellia La Marca, Language and Travel Guide to Sicily, New York: Hippocrene
Books 2008.
Rocco Lombardo, La musica a Enna: dai tempi del mito ai primi decenni del Novecento, Enna:
Inner Wheel Club of Enna, 2000.
Le mani, monografia tematica, Messina: Unione Italiana fotoamatori, 2008.
Giovanni Mannino, Guida alla preistoria del palermitano, Palermo: Istituto Studi Politici ed
Economici2007.
Mario B. Mignone, Italy Today, revised edition, New York, Peter Lang, 2008.
——— Altreitalie; Cittadinnza e dritto al voto, Stony Brook, NY: Forum Italicum
Publishing, 2008.
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Eugene Mirabelli, The Goddess in Love with a Horse, (And What Happened Next), Delmar,
NY: Spring Harbor Press, 2008.
Corrado Mirto & Giuseppe Scianò, Riflessioni e pensieri indipendentisti...in libertà, Palermo:
FNS, 2007
Monitoraggio dei popolamenti ittici presenti nei caulerpeti alloctoni siciliani, Palermo: ISSPE
editrice2007.
Mary Patterson, Franco and Anna Gennusa: Their Journey, Annapolis, MD , 2006.
Joan Peterson & Marcella Croce, Eat Smart in Sicily: a Travel Guide for food lovers, Madison,
WI: Ginkco Press, 2008.
Luigi Pirandello e “la più bella città dei mortali”, Agrigento: Edizione il cerchio- La Catinella,
2006.
Ennio I. Rao, Curmudgeons in High Dudgeon: 101 Years of Invectives (1352-1453), Messina:
Edizioni Dr. Antonino Sfameni, 2007.
Salvatore Riolo, I galloitalici messinesi, Milano: Montedit, 2007.
Peppino Ruggeri, Sketches of life in Sicily, Canada, 2007.
Antonino Russo, I fattielli di Bagheria, Palermo: ISSPE2008.
Nat Scammacca, Unni vai cu sta cosa: racconti, Palermo: Edizione Antigruppo, 2007.
Antonina Ales Scurti, Gabbiani e pensieri: Poesie, Bagheria, 2007.
Catherine Tsounis, The Greek American Experience II, New York: Panmacedonian Center,
2008.
Josephus Tusiani, In nobis Caelum, Carmina latina, Leuven: Leuven University Press,
2007.
Giovanni Vecchio, Padre Bicicletta ed altri racconti, Fiumedfreddo, CT,:2006.
.
Arba Sicula XXIX
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Arba Sicula Recommends the Following Books
Sicilian Women, by Giacomo Pilati. This is a series of interview of 12 Sicilian women
who speak of their lives, their successes and failures, providing excellent insights into
modern Sicilian society.$12.95.
The Scent of Jasmine, by Florence Terranova Gatto.This book, containing vignettes
from a Sicilian background told with conviction and heart by Florence Gatto, sold out
almost immediately. and contiunes to delight those who read it. $14.95.
Time Takes no Time, by Donna L. Gestri.
Sicilian traditions, beliefs and customs are explored and brought to life in the day to day
existence of the colorful characters.
ISBN 1881901610, paperback, 150 pages, $14.95.
Ninety Love Octaves, by Antonio Veneziano, edited introduced and translated by
Gaetano Cipolla.
This is the first anthology of Veneziano’s poems to appear in English translation. It
gives ample justification to the name “Prince of Poets” given to Veneziano in his time.
See the review of it in the previous issue of Arba Sicula. Bilingual (Sicilian/English)
ISBN 1881901564 paperback $12.95
Sebastiano: A Sicilian Legacy, by Connie Mandracchia De Caro
This is wonderful novel that weaves fiction and historical facts about Sicily in the
19th century by the author of Sicily: The Trampled Paradise Revisited.
ISBN 1881901521 paperback $14.95
Il cuore oltre l’Oceano, by Salvatore Taormina
This is a very poignant novel about Sicilian lovers that struggle with an intransigent
Sicilian father. It casts an insightful glance at the life of Sicilian-Americans and at the
hilarious language they use, as they become accustomed to the new land. It’s a very
funny novel written with pathos and irony. The book is in Italian.
ISBN 188190153X Paperback. $16.00
Sicily through Symbolism and Myth: Gate to Heaven and to the Underworld,
by Paolo Fiorentino
This is wonderful little book that everyone ought to have. It tells the stories of the
symbols and myths that have emerged out of the Sicilian soil. See the review in this
issue.
ISBN 18881901572 Paperback $12.95.
Siciliana: Studies on the Sicilian Ethos, by Gaetano Cipolla.
This collection of essays by Prof. Cipolla includes his well known work on the Jews
of Sicily, What Makes a Sicilian?, Sicily and Greece, the Arabs in Sicily, and many new
articles not published in Arba Sicula. This is a must for all members of Arba Sicula.
ISBN 188190145-9, 258 pp. $18.00
Sicilian: The Oldest Romance Language, by Joseph Privitera.
In this study Dr. Privitera demonstrates that Sicilian is not a dialect nor a corruption
of Italian. Dr. Privitera convincingly argues that Sicilian is the most ancient of the
romance languages. In addition he compiles a list of word derived from other languages
such as Latin, Greek, Arabic, Spanish, Catalan and provencal.
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ISBN 188190141-6, 2004, 96 pp. $12.00
The Woman Outlaw, by Maria Rosa Cutrufelli, translated by Angela M. Jeannet.
This a novel based in the aftermath of the unification of Italy about a young woman
of the Sicilian nobility who reviews her life from a prison cell to understand actions-murdering her husnband, joining brigands--thatled her there. A poignant tale of the
search for self-identity as a person and as a woman.
ISBN 188190140-8, 2004, 96 pp. $12.00
Introduction to Sicilian Grammar, By J. K. “Kirk” Bonner, Edited by Gaetano
Cipolla.
This is the first comprehensive grammar of the Sicilian language available for English
speakers. It is also the first serious attempt at treating the various different forms of
spoken Sicilian as expressions of the same underlying language. Dr. Bonner’s work
ought to dispel the notion that Sicilian is not a language, but a dialect. Coming at a time
when Sicilian is being threatened with extinction, this work is an invitation to Sicilians
and Sicilian-Americans not to let the language of their ancestors fade away. Price $18.00
The Sounds of Sicilian, by Gaetano Cipolla
This 32 page booklet is a description of Sicilian sounds accompanied by an interactive
CD to teach you pronunciation. It should be bought in conjunction with Introduction
to Sicilian Grammar. For $27.00 you can buy both, including shipping.
ISBN 188190151-3, 32 pp. $6.00
A Thousand Years in Sicily,: from the Arabs to the Bourbons, by Giusreppe
Quatriglio.
This is the third edition of a classic. See the review of this book on in the book
review section. If you’re interested in Sicilian history, this is one book you ought to
have.
ISBN 0921252-17-X, 228 pp. $16.00
The Last Cannoli, by Camille Cusumano.
Writing in the New York Times Book Review in 1993, Gay Talese lamented the lack
of “Italian-American Arthur Millers and Saul Bellows, James Baldwins and Toni
Morrisons, Mary MCarthys and Mary Gordons, writing about their experiences.” Camille
Cusumano’s first novel, The Last Cannoli, begins to fill that gap. The Last Cannoli is a
lively, fast-paced read in a voice that is fresh and powerful. Price $19.00
A Sicilian Shakespeare:A Bilingual Edition of All His Sonnets, By Renzo Porcelli
Why translate Shakespeare into Sicilian? Would anyone think it strange if someone
translated Shakespeare into French, as indeed many people have, or Spanish, Russian
or Japanese? So why not Sicilian? Sicilian was the first Italic language used by the
Sicilian School of poetry under Frederick II. Sicily has produced many important literary
figures writing in Sicilian and now thanks to Renzo Porcelli, Shakespeare has acquired
a Sicilian voice. Price$ 8.00
Sicily The Trampled Paradise, Revisited, By Connie Mandracchia De Caro
The success of the first edition of this book favored the preparation of this new
volume, which includes enhanced historical insights into the complex history of Sicily.
ISBN 1881901-15-7 138 pp, paperback. Price: $12.00
The Sicilians, By Joseph Privitera
Arba Sicula XXIX
148
Born in New York City of Sicilian parents, Dr. Privitera has always thought of himself
as Sicilian and for many years now he has been wanting to tell his fellow-Americans
what it has been like to have lived in his native America with the soul of a Sicilian. He has
now done so. In The Sicilians, Part I, he describes his early life as a Sicilian in Italian
Harlem. Part II is a throwback to Sicily. There he describes the island’s history and its
way of life, which his parents brought with them to America. It is a colorful story told
with humor, affection, and Sicilian panache. Price $14.00
History of Autonomous Sicily By Romolo Menighetti and Franco Nicastro, Translated into
English by Gaetano Cipolla
This is the most comprehensive history of Sicily from the signing of the Special
Autonomy Statute for the Island in 1947 to the present. If you want to understand the
political, economic and social situation of modern day Sicily, this is your book. Price
$18.00
Sicily: Where Love Is, By Dominick Eannello
This is the story of two generations of the Salerno family who hail from a small town
in central Sicily. The author leads us on a journey through the early 1940s when Joseph
Salerno was hired as a Professor at Columbia University. Forced to return to Italy by
the break of the war, Joseph had some experiences that would eventually change the
lives of his children. It’s a fascinating tales of love, respect for the family and heritage.
A “treasure” of a novel. Price $14.00
Dante’s Divine Comedy as Told to Young People, by Joseph Tusiani.
This is a retelling of the Divine Comedy written especially for young people by poet,
novelist and translator Joseph Tusiani. The author combines summary, paraphrase and
Dante’s own lines translated into English verse to tell a timeless story of salvation and
sin. Price $12.00
The English-Italian Lexical Converter, An Easy Way of Learning Italian
Vocabulary, by Antonio Russo
This book represents a novel way to master Italian vocabulary by using Latin as the
common root of Italian and English. Since a high percentage of English words are
derived from Latin, English and Italian share many common roots, endings of adjectives,
nouns adverbs and verbs. The author has compiled a list of over 30,000 words that
have a common matrix and can be easily converted from English into Italian simply by
learning a few rules. You can accomplish in minutes what normally would take you
hours of memorization. This book is recommended for anyone who has an interest in
Italian. This 242-page paperback costs only $18.00.
Altavilla, Sicily: Memories of a Happy Childhood, By Calogero Lombardo
“I wrote this book for the children of the family who ill never know what this place
was,” said Calogero Lombardo. This is more than a recollection of childhood memories.
It is an interesting and insightful look at the reality of Sicily and Sicilians written with
wit anda sense of humor. ISBN 1881901-36-X. 168 pages, $14.00
Don Chisciotti and Sanciu Panza, By Giovanni Meli, Introduction, Notes and Translation
by Gaetano Cipolla. Revised edition.
This is not a translation of the Spanish novel, but an entirely original rethinking of
the archetypal couple of Don Quijote and his squire Sancho, written in verse and from
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a Sicilian perspective. This is an essential book to understand the Sicilian psyche. Gaetano
Cipolla’s translation is superb. ISBN 1881901-33-5. 320 pages- Bilingual volume (Sicilian/
English) Price $18.00
A Sicilian Martyr in Nagasaki, By Calogero Messina.
This is the story of a Sicilian monk, Brother Giordano of Santo Stefano, a missionary
who was martyred in Japan in the 17th century. He was canonized by the Christian Church
as Saint Giordano. Professor Messina’s painstaking reconstruction of Saint Giordano’s
life is a marvelous journey through history that shines a light on Sicilian religious feelings.
It is an important contribution. ISBN 1881901-32-7. 106 pages, paperback. $12.00
The Dialect Poetry of Southern Italy, Edited by Luigi Bonaffini.
Professor Bonaffini has edited an anthology of the most significant dialect poetry
produced in Southern Italy. The selections from the languages of Latium, Abruzzo,
Molise, Campania, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia are translated into English
and into Italian by specialists. Each region and each poet are introduced by critical
appraisals that highlight trends and movements within the wide horizon of dialect
poetry. This volume reveals for the first time in English a world of unsuspected poetic
power. This is Vol. l of series Italian Poetry in Translation. (Trilingual volume) ISBN 1881901-13-0. 512 pp. paperback. $32.00.
Medieval Sicily: The First Absolute State, Revised Edition, By Henry Barbera.
This is a revised edition of Dr. Barbera’s entertaining and well documented account
of the eventful period that goes from the Norman conquest of Sicily to the death of
Frederick II. Dr. Barbera’s well written book places Sicily at the center of European
political development during the Middle Ages. This is required reading for all who are
interested in Sicilian history. ISBN 1-881901-05-X. Paperback 160 pp, with illustrations.
Price: $12.00
Mr. Vincent Ciaramitaro, former owner of Joe’s of Avenue U in Brooklyn,
has developed a web site that contains many of the recipes used in the famous
Focacceria Palermitana. Check out his site at:
www.siciliancookingplus.com
Plus the island’s traditions, history and legends.
Arba Sicula XXIX
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Visit Us on the Internet
OUR ADDRESS IS :
www.arbasicula.org
Check out our newly updated web page on the INTERNET. We have
completely revised the look and the content of the Arba Sicula site. While
some of the items have remained the same, the content of Arba Sicula has
been changed to include a good number of articles from Arba Sicula XXVI
The content of Sicilia Parra has also been updated to include an abundant
sampling of issue no. XVIII-1. Our book offering has also been updated to
include books published in 2006. So come visit us. I am sure you will enjoy our
new look. Go to www.arbasicula.org and join the 45,000 people who have
visited our site so far. By the way, you can also use arbasicula.com or
arbasicula.net to get to our page.
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Send Us Your E-mail
If you are connected to the Internet, please provide us with your email address. It would make it easier and less expensive for Arba
Sicula to get in touch with you to notify you about upcoming events,
to send you invitations to events at St. John’s University and to keep
you abreast of things. The database will not be shared with anyone
and will be used only for the purposes mentioned. I will ask our web
master to prepare a form that you can fill out when you log into our
web site. Alternatively you can send me your e-mail at
[email protected]
This is especially important for the members who live in the New
York metropolitan area and in the tri-state area of NY, NJ & CT as
they are more likely to come to events held at St. John’s University.
Arba Sicula XXIX
152
Christmas Sicilian Book Sale
A special 30% discount on all books for Arba Sicula Members
.
G. Pilato, Sicilian Women (interviews with 12 sicilian women) 90 pp.
F. Gatto, The Scent of Jasmine, 150 pp.
D. Gestri, Time Takes no Time, a novel 154 pp.
G. Cipolla, Ninety Love Octaves, (Sicilian/English)
P. Fiorentino, Sicily through Symbolism and Myth
C De Caro, Sebastiano: A Sicilian Legacy
S. Taormina, Il cuore oltre l’Oceano
G. Cipolla, Siciliana: Studies on the Sicilian Ethos, 228 p.
G. Cipolla, The Sounds of Sicilian, 32 pp. plus CD
B. Tusiani, The Fig Cake Family, 32 pp.
M.R. Cutrufelli, The Woman Outlaw, 102 pp.
E. Lauretta, The Narrow Beach, 132 pp.
J. Privitera. Sicilian: The Oldest Romance Language 96 pp
G. Meli, Don Chisciotti and Sanciu Panza, 316 pp (Sicilian/English)
A. Russo, The English-Italian Lexical Converter, 242 pp
C. Lombardo, Altavilla Sicily: Memories a a Happy Childhood,
C. Messina, A Sicilian Martyr in Nagasaki, 106 pp
R. Menighetti & F. Nicastro, History of Autonomous Sicily, 330 pp
J. K. Bonner, Introduction to Sicilian Grammar +G. Cipolla’s
Sounds of Sicilian +CD
F. Privitera, The Sicilians, 180 pp
B. Morreale, Sicily, the Hallowed Land, A Memoir
G. Quatriglio, A Thousand Years in Sicily, 228 pp.3rd edition
J. Tusiani, Dante’s Divine Comedy as Told to Young People
C. Cusumano, The Last Cannoli, 240 pp. A Novel.
L. Bonaffini, Dialect Poetry of Southern Italy, trilingual anthology, 514 pp.
G. Meli, Moral Fables and Other Poems (Sicilian/English),
A. Provenzano, Vinissi...I’d Love to Come (Sicilian/English) 172p.
Dante’s Lyric Poems, translated by J Tusiani (bilingual)
D. Eannello, Sicily: Where Love Is, a Novel, 226 pp
E. Carollo, America! America!, (Italian/English)
H. Barbera, Medieval Sicily: the First Absolute State, 152 pp.
J. Vitiello, Labyrinths and Volcanoes, 120 pp.
G. Basile, Sicilian Cuisine through History and Legend,
G. Cipolla, The Poetry of Nino Martoglio, (Sicilian/English), 304 pp.
O. Claypole, Sicilian Erotica, (Bilingual Anthology) 196 pp.
R. Porcelli, A Sicilian Shakespeare-All the Sonnets, (bilingual) 100 pages
$27.95
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G. Cipolla. What Italy Has Given to the World
G. Cipolla, What Makes a Sicilian?
$ 3
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Send Orders to: Legas, PO Box 149, Mineola, NY 11501
Postage & handling is $3.00 for first book, .50 for each additional book.
New York State residents please add 8.25% for sales taxes.
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Arba Sicula XXIX
ARBA SICULA
A Non-Profit International Cultural Organization that Promotes a Positive Image of Sicily and of
Sicilians and Their Contributions to Western Civilization.
INVITES YOU TO JOIN ITS WORLDWIDE MEMBERSHIP.
Celebrate our Twenty-ninth Anniversary!
ARBA SICULA PROMOTES SICILIAN CULTURE IN MANY WAYS:
•
By publishing two issues per year of Arba Sicula, a unique bilingual (SicilianEnglish) journal that focuses on the folklore and the literature of Sicily and her people all
over the world; (included in membership);
•
by publishing two issues per year of Sicilia Parra, a 20-page newsletter of
interest to Sicilians and Sicilian-Americans (included in membership);
•
by organizing cultural events, lectures, exhibitions and poetry recitals free of
charge to our members and their guests;
•
by publishing supplements that deal with Sicilian culture. These supplements
are normally sent as they are published as part of the subscription;
•
by disseminating information on Sicily and Sicilians that offers a more correct
evaluation of their contributions to western civilization;
•
by supporting individual efforts and activities that portray Sicilians in a positive
light;
•
by organizing an annual tour of Sicily
•
and by promoting books on Sicily.
AS members get a 20% discount on all Legas books.
TO SUBSCRIBE OR BUY A SUBSCRIPTION FOR YOUR SICILIAN FRIENDS,
SEND A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER PAYABLE TO ARBA SICULA TO:
PROF. GAETANO CIPOLLA
Department of Languages and Literatures
St. John’s University
Jamaica, NY 11439
Senior Citizens and students $30.00
Individual $35.00
Foreign Membership: $40.00
Name __________________________________________
Address_________________________________________
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Arba Sicula XXIX
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