Translation of the song Il reduce artist Davide Van de Sfroos

Spècia un àttim a cascià via ’l suu

Wait a moment before sending the sun away

e a lassamm de par me cun l’umbrìa;

and leaving me all by myself with the shadow;

in söl müür la tua cruus par che dunda

on the wall, your cross looks like it’s swinging

quand che pizzi ’l camen.

when I light up the fireplace.1

La pultrona cugnuss el me pees

My armchair knows my weight,

ma a sfundàla l’è quèsta memòria

but what it’s buckling under, is this memory

che l’è scià cul sò fiaa de zampogna

that comes here with its bagpipe-like wind

per mea famm durmì.

to prevent me from sleeping.

E se vardi sto guantu de pèll

And if I look at this leather glove

cun suta un pügn faa de lègn,

with a wooden fist underneath it,

se dumandi se la man che ho perdüü

I wonder whether the hand I’ve lost

l’è dree amò a sparà.

is still firing.

O forsi l’è sta ’l tò regaal

Or, maybe it was a gift from you,

strepamm via quèla man sciagürada

ripping off of me that wretched hand

che pregava per mea fass cupà

that prayed not to get killed,

e sparava sparava sparava

and shot shot shot

a oltra geent che sparava;

other people who were shooting;

e sparava sparava sparava

and shot shot shot

a oltra geent che pregava.

other people who were praying.

Eri mai cupaa gnaa un fasan

I had never killed, not even a pheasant,

e ho trataa sèmpru bee anca i furmiigh.

and even ants I’ve always treated well.

Sérum in tanti cargà in sö quèl trènu

There were a lot of us loaded on that train,

cume föi destacaa,

like fallen leaves,2

e imparaum la geografìa

and we learned geography

nel cüntà ogni siit che brüsàva,

by counting every burning place,

e la scendra de tüta l’Euròpa

and the ash of all of Europe

ghe l’ho ancamò in buca.

is still in my mouth.

Per el viaggio de nòzz cun la mort

For our honeymoon with death,

hemm cataa fö Nikolaevka

we got Nikolaevka,3

e brindaum cul giazz e cul föch

and we toasted with ice and fire,

e ’l müsón ne la palta.

and our faces in the mud.

E la spusa vestida de negru

And the bride dressed in black

quanta geent l’ha purtaa in söl sò altaar,

took so many people to her altar,

e intaant che ghe davi la man

and while she was taking my hand

la girava la facia luntan

she turned her face away

vèrso quei che basava,

towards the people she kissed;

e però la lassava ’l sò anèll

yet, she left her ring

a sto omm che turnava.

to this man who was coming back.4

La tua cruus la g’ha sèmpru tri cioo,

Your cross always has three nails,

e la mia uviameent vön in mènu,

and mine has one less, obviously,5

ma son qui con la stessa preghiera,

but I’m here composing the same prayer,

come ogni sera;

like every evening;

te la scrivo col sangue non speso

I write it to you with unspilled blood

e una penna nera.

and a black pen.6