Translation of the song ’O vient artist Clementino

Me sient’? Song’ a voc’ ’e chi ’n ten’ nient’.

1

Mentre parton’ e bastiment’,

Can you hear me? I’m the voice of people who have nothing.

ce riman’ sultant’ ’o vient’, ’o vient’.

While cargo ships are setting sail,2

Me sient’? Song’ a voc’ ’e chi ’n ten’ nient’.

Can you hear me? I’m the voice of people who have nothing.

Mentre parton’ e bastiment’,

While cargo ships are setting sail,

ce riman’ sultant’ ’o vient’, ’o vient’.

we have only the wind left, the wind.

Ti giuro, mamma:

I swear, mum:

questo è l’ultimo caffè che bevo.

this is the last coffee I’m drinking.3

Il poco riposo mi rende nervoso, e mi chiedo

The lack of rest makes me nervous, and I’m wondering

se rimarrà solo la polvere nelle mie mani

whether I’ll be left with only dust in my hands

e il risultato sarà correre su quelle navi.

and the result will be me dashing onto those ships.

I figli di puttana fanno saltare i miei piani:

The sons of a bitch screw up my plans:

loro ci vogliono trattare da poveri schiavi;

they want to treat us like poor slaves;4

e chi sogna l’America più lontana,

and people who dream of the farthest America,

come un secolo fa il sangue dei nostri avi,

like the blood of our ancestors, a century ago,

dimenticati dal Padreterno,

forsaken by God,

brucia qua l’inferno;

hell is burning here;

e chi non sta mai fermo è perché è stanco dentro,

and people who are restless because they are tired on their inside,

e camminando a testa alta,

and by walking tall,

ascoltando la voce del vento,

by listening to the voice of the wind,

avrà fatto centro.

they will hit the mark.

Me sient’? Song’ a voc’ ’e chi ’n ten’ nient’.

Can you hear me? I’m the voice of people who have nothing.

Mentre parton’ e bastiment’,

While cargo ships are setting sail,

ce riman’ sultant’ ’o vient’, ’o vient’.

we have only the wind left, the wind.

Me sient’? Song’ a voc’ ’e chi ’n ten’ nient’.

Can you hear me? I’m the voice of people who have nothing.

Mentre parton’ e bastiment’,

While cargo ships are setting sail,

ce riman’ sultant’ ’o vient’, ’o vient’.

we have only the wind left, the wind.

Parlo a nome di una generazione

I’m speaking in the name of a generation

che qui non ha più niente,

who have nothing left here anymore,

ed è costretta a dipendere sempre dalla gente;

and who are forced to be always depending on people;

andare via fino a su ma con la mente di giù;

going away, to the North, though with a Southern mindset;5

rimane solo il vento a noi artisti.

we artists are left with only wind.

Sempre di più, con la valigia in mano,

In ever-greater numbers, with a suitcase in our hand,

vaghiamo una nazione

we wander across a nation

che non dà opportunità o valore a quello che inventiamo.

that doesn’t give a chance to what we invent, nor deems it worthwhile.

Nun c’ ’a facc’ ’cchiu.

I can’t stand it anymore.

‟Trent’anni in mezzo a ’sta mmerda,

‟Thirty years among this shit,

ma mi rimbocco le maniche, fra’, e ricominciamo.”

but I’m rolling up my sleeves, bro, and we’ll start over.”

Se credi che da grande ragioni così,

If you think that you’ll be thinking like that as an adult,

allora, ragazzino, tu non hai capito un cazzo;

then, kid, you don’t understand shit;

ti aspettavo.

I was waiting for you.

E per la prossima fine del mondo,

And for the coming end of the world,

come disse un vecchio saggio:

as an old wise man said:

io speriamo che me la cavo.

let’s hope I’ll make it through.6

Guarda la gente quand’ sent’ ’o vient’ ’n copp’ ’a pell’,

Look at people when they feel the wind on their skin,

l’addor’, r’ cos’ p’ ll’anima.

the smell, the things for their souls.

E chell’ che truov’ a chiamm’ verità;

And what they find, they call it ‟truth”;

sensibilità p’ ll’aria, ’int’ a na carica.

sensitivity in the air, strength inside.7

Vorrei capire adesso il tempo che ho a disposizione

I’d like to understand how much time I have now

per confessare i miei peccati,

to confess my sins,

e quanti ne ho, Signore!

and I committed so many of them, Lord!

Chell’ che truov’ a chiamm’ verità;

What they find, they call it ‟truth”;

sensibilità p’ l’aria, vient’ p’ ll’anima.

sensitivity in the air, wind in the soul.8

Me sient’? Song’ a voc’ ’e chi ’n ten’ nient’.

Can you hear me? I’m the voice of people who have nothing.

Mentre parton’ e bastiment’,

While cargo ships are setting sail,

ce riman’ sultant’ ’o vient’, ’o vient’.

we have only the wind left, the wind.

Me sient’? Song’ a voc’ ’e chi ’n ten’ nient’.

Can you hear me? I’m the voice of people who have nothing.

Mentre parton’ e bastiment’,

While cargo ships are setting sail,

ce riman’ sultant’ ’o vient’, ’o vient’.

we have only the wind left, the wind.

Ti giuro, mamma:

I swear, mum:

questo è l’ultimo caffè che bevo:

this is the last coffee I’m drinking:

come Troisi, mi rende nervoso.

like Troisi, it makes me nervous.9

E poi mi chiedo quando le storie finiranno,

And then I wonder when these stories are going to end,

sempre le stesse,

always the same ones,

il tempo mi passa davanti: FS.

time passes by in front of me: FS.10

Scaglio l’ultima pietra,

I’m casting the last stone,11

tra peccatori ci capiamo.

among sinners, we understand each other.

E voi, benvenuti al Sud,

And you, welcome to the South,12

mò ve lo speghiamo.

now we’re going to explain it to you.13

Porto una croce come Gesù Cristo sul Calvario:

I’m bearing a cross like Jesus Christ on the Calvary:

è quella di essere italiano.

it’s the cross of being Italian.14

E sai come mi chiamo? Bravo.

And do you know my name? Good.

Le persone che mi apprezzano per quel che sono,

People who admire me for what I am,

perché a volte non c’è un prezzo per quel suono.

because sometimes what I play is priceless.

Le mie idee continueranno a viaggiare

My ideas will keep travelling

con la voce del vento

with the voice of the wind

di chi non ha nulla e che sa cantare.

of people who have nothing and know how to sing.

Me sient’? Song’ a voc’ ’e chi ’n ten’ nient’.

Can you hear me? I’m the voice of people who have nothing.

Mentre parton’ e bastiment’,

While cargo ships are setting sail,

ce riman’ sultant’ ’o vient’, ’o vient’.

we have only the wind left, the wind.

Me sient’? Song’ a voc’ ’e chi ’n ten’ nient’.

Can you hear me? I’m the voice of people who have nothing.

Mentre parton’ e bastiment’,

While cargo ships are setting sail,

ce riman’ sultant’ ’o vient’, ’o vient’.

we have only the wind left, the wind.

Me sient’?

Can you hear me?

Me sient’? Song’ a voc’ ’e chi ’n ten’ nient’.

Can you hear me? I’m the voice of people who have nothing.

Mentre parton’ e bastiment’,

While cargo ships are setting sail,

ce riman’ sultant’ ’o vient’, ’o vient’.

we have only the wind left, the wind.