Translation of the song Mancumari artist Fabrizio Casu

V’è ga dizi chi la vidda

Someone says that life

è una cuntinua pasthidda,

is a continuous match,

in chisthu soggu d’accosdhu, sì parò

I agree on this, yes, but

abà prubeddi a ippiegammi

now try to explain to me,

acchì vibu di maranni,

since I live off of hardships,

si chishta pasthidda è pessa oppuru no.

if this match is already lost or not.

No arribu mai a fini mesi,

I can never arrive at the end of the month,

campu pa pagà l’ippesi

I live to pay the fees

pa ticcià la panza di ga dizi chi

to fill the belly of those who say

“chisthi tassi sevvini pa sanà tuttu”

“these taxes are necessary to heal everything”

E a me inveci poi ca m’abarà a sanà?

Yeah, but who will heal me, then?

Mancumari…

Thank goodness…

semmu tutti di passaggiu

we are all transient,

ma candu murimmu zi paghemmu lu viaggiu.

but when we die, we’ll pay for our journey.

Pa lu mamentu no vi vogliu pinsà

For the moment I don’t want to think about it

e innogghi puru mi pongu a cantà.

and even now I start to sing.

Mi fazi ridì un amiggu,

A fellow makes me laugh:

fabiddendi di trabagliu

talking about jobs, he says

dizi chi “si è fissu poi ti poi annuià”,

“if it’s a steady job, you can get bored”,

l’ha dittu in televisioni

he said so on television

a mirioni di passoni.

to millions of people.

Daboi di chisthu cosa zi pò augurà?

After that, what can we expect?

Mi veni da frasthimatti,

I just want to swear at you,

da pigliatti e sthranguratti,

to grab and strangle you,

ma nimmancu chissu inveci possu fà,

but I can’t do even that,

lu chi possu fà è tirà addananzi e muddu

all I can do is to get by and hush

chi tra poggu pagu puru pa rippirà.

‘cause in a bit I’ll have to pay even to breathe.

Mancumari…

Thank goodness…

semmu tutti di passaggiu

we are all transient,

ma candu murimmu zi paghemmu lu viaggiu.

but when we die, we’ll pay for our journey.

Pa lu mamentu no vi vogliu pinsà

For the moment I don’t want to think about it

e innogghi puru mi pongu a cantà.

and even now I start to sing.