Translation of the song Ma se ghe penso artist Italian Folk
Ma se ghe penso
But if I think about
O l'êa partîo sensa 'na palanca,
He had left without having a single penny,
l'êa zâ trent'anni, fòrse anche ciù.
thirty years ago, perhaps even more.
O l'aveiva lotòu pe mette i dinæ a-a banca
He had struggled to put his money in a bank
e poèisene un giorno vegnî in zù
and to be free to come back some day
e fâse a palasinn-a e o giardinetto,
and to build his house and his little garden
co-o ranpicante, co-a cantinn-a e o vin,
with a creeper, a cellar and the wine,
a branda atacâ a-i èrboi, a ûzo létto,
with a hammock tied to the trees to use it as a bed,
pe dâghe 'na schenâ séia e matin.
to rest on it in the evening and morning.
Ma o figgio o ghe dixeiva: «No ghe pensâ
But his son told him «Don’t think about
a Zena, cöse ti ghe veu tornâ?!»
Genoa, do you really want to go back there?!»
Ma se ghe penso alôa mi veddo o mâ,
But if I think about, then I see the sea,
veddo i mæ monti, a ciassa da Nonçiâ,
I see my mountains, the Annunziata square1
riveddo o Righi e me s'astrenze o cheu,
I see Righi2again, and I feel a pang in my heart,
veddo a lanterna, a cava, lazù o Meu...
I see the Lanterna,3the cave and the Dock down there …
Riveddo a-a séia Zena iluminâ,
I see again Genoa by night, illuminated,
veddo là a Fôxe e sento franze o mâ
I see the Mouth on the shore and I hear the sea dashing,
e alôa mi penso ancon de ritornâ
and then I think to go back again
a pösâ e òsse dôve ò mæ madonâ.
to lay my bones where my grandmother is.
E l'êa pasòu do tenpo, fòrse tròppo,
And a lot of time passed, perhaps too much,
o figgio o l'inscisteiva: «Stemmo ben,
his son insisted: «We're fine here,
dôve ti veu andâ, papà?.. pensiêmo dòppo,
where want you to go, dad? we’ll think about later:
o viâgio, o mâ, t'ê vêgio, no conven!».
the travel, the sea, you’re old... it isn’t convenient!»
«Oh no, oh no! me sento ancon in ganba,
«Oh no, oh no! I’m still quite smart,
son stùffo e no ne pòsso pròpio ciû,
I’m fed up, I can't stand it anymore,
son stanco de sentî señor caramba,
I’m tired to hear “señor caramba”
mi véuggio ritornâmene ancon in zù...
I want to go back again down there…
Ti t'ê nasciûo e t'æ parlòu spagnòllo,
You speak Spanish since you was born,
mi son nasciûo zeneize e... no me mòllo!».
I was born in Genoa and …I won’t give up!»
Ma se ghe penso alôa mi veddo o mâ,
But if I think about, then I see the sea,
veddo i mæ monti, a ciassa da Nonçiâ,
I see my mountains, the Annunziata square,
riveddo o Righi e me s'astrenze o cheu,
I see Righi again, and I feel a pang in my heart,
veddo a lanterna, a cava, lazù o Meu...
I see the Lanterna, the cave and the Dock down there …
Riveddo a-a séia Zena iluminâ,
I see again Genoa by night, illuminated,
veddo là a Fôxe e sento franze o mâ
I see the Mouth on the shore and I hear the sea dashing,
e alôa mi penso ancon de ritornâ
and then I think to go back again
a pösâ e òsse dôve ò mæ madonâ.
to lay my bones where my grandmother is.
E sensa tante cöse o l'é partîo
And without any fuss he departed
e a Zena o gh'à formòu torna o so nîo.
and in Genoa he built his nest again.