Enzo Avitabile feat. Francesco Guccini - Gerardo nuvola 'e povere - translation of the lyrics into English

Lyrics and translation Enzo Avitabile feat. Francesco Guccini - Gerardo nuvola 'e povere




Gerardo nuvola 'e povere
Gerardo, a cloud of poverty
Gerardo faceva ò fravecatore,
Gerardo was a construction worker,
Viveva a Modena ma era terrone.
He lived in Modena but he was a "terrone".
A sera quanno ferneva e faticà
In the evening when he finished working,
Trasmetteva a Radio Popolare.
He used to listen to Radio Popolare.
Anarchia sarà n'utopia e basta,
Anarchy will just be a utopia,
Proudhon, Bakunin e Malatesta,
Proudhon, Bakunin and Malatesta,
ò subcomandante, ò capitale,
The subcomandante, the capital,
Marx, ò lavoro, à giustizia sociale
Marx, work, social justice.
Ce stevano na vota è comunisti,
There used to be communists once,
è sindacati facevano ò riest;
And unions that made things right.
Mo è n'alleanza a tradimento,
Now it's a treacherous alliance,
Na politica non porta a niente.
Politics that lead nowhere.
Progett è miliardi inesistenti,
Projects with non-existent billions,
Tasse a coppa a tasse n'coppa è spalle d'à ggente,
Taxes upon taxes on people's shoulders,
Mistificazione e contraddizione,
Mystification and contradiction,
L'urna pronta p'à cremazione.
The ballot box ready for cremation.
Era venuto faticà nun era venuto p' murì
He came to work, he didn't come to die,
4figli, na mugliera a carico,
Four children, a wife to support,
Na casca è zingo p'm' ne jì.
A house to finish paying off.
Era venuto p'accumincià,
He came to begin,
Non ero venuto p'è fernì
He didn't come to end up
A Maddaloni in vitam aeternam
In Maddaloni in vitam aeternam
Requiescat in pace amen.
Rest in peace, amen.
Sè, a l cgnusiva quall che a gii, e a am pariva ònn a post, buon;
Yes, I knew him, whatever you want to call him, he seemed like a good guy to me;
A s'ciamèva l'u m pèr, Gerardo, a cradd ch'a l fòss un murador.
He was called, um, Gerardo, I think he was a bricklayer.
a i era sol al so frutarol, ma a i era amigh cun cal teroun
I was only his greengrocer, but I was friends with that "terrone"
Perché a 'n n'era mia 'na ligèra, ma 'na perouna cun un gran còr.
Because he wasn't someone superficial, but a person with a big heart.
Gerardo faceva ò fravecatore,
Gerardo was a construction worker,
Viveva a Modena ma era terrone.
He lived in Modena, but he was a "terrone".
A sera quanno ferneva e faticà
In the evening, when he finished working,
Trasmetteva a Radio Popolare.
He used to listen to Radio Popolare.
Ma senza alcuna protezione caduto sul lavoro,
But without any protection, he fell at work,
Morta janca, prematura
A white death, premature,
Sott'à na nuvola è povere'.
Under a cloud of poverty.
Era venuto faticà nun era venuto p' murì
He came to work, he didn't come to die,
4figli, na mugliera a carico,
Four children, a wife to support,
Na casca è zingo p'm' ne jì.
A house to finish paying off.
Era venuto p'accumincià,
He came to begin,
Non ero venuto p'è fernì
He didn't come to end up
A Maddaloni in vitam aeternam
In Maddaloni in vitam aeternam
Requiescat in pace amen.
Rest in peace, amen.
A 'n n'è mia facil lasèr la per catèr che da lavurer
It's not easy to leave your home to find work,
Lasèr paes, i fiòo, la muìera, lasèr dialatt, lasèr la vida
To leave your town, your children, your wife, to leave your dialect, to leave your life,
E vignir fin chè fra d'la ginta estranea seinza capir al lor ciacarer
And come here among strangers without understanding their chatter,
Catèr lavour o catèrla mort? tòtta la storia l'è bele fnida.
To find work or to find death? The whole story is already over.
So venuto faticà nun so venuto p' murì
I came to work, I didn't come to die,
4figli, na mugliera a carico,
Four children, a wife to support,
Na casca è zingo p'm' ne jì.
A house to finish paying off.
So venuto p'accumincià,
I came to begin,
Non so venuto p'è fernì
I didn't come to end up
A Maddaloni in vitam aeternam
In Maddaloni in vitam aeternam
Requiescat in pace amen.
Rest in peace, amen.
A 'n n'è mia facil lasèr la per catèr che da lavurer
It's not easy to leave your home to find work,
Lasèr paes, i fiòo, la muìera, lasèr dialatt, lasèr la vida
To leave your town, your children, your wife, to leave your dialect, to leave your life,
E vignir fin chè fra d'la ginta estranea seinza capir al lor ciacarer
And come here among strangers without understanding their chatter,
Catèr lavour o catèrla mort? tòtta la storia l'è bele fnida.
To find work or to find death? The whole story is already over.





Writer(s): Vincenzo Avitabile


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