Lyrics and translation Enzo Avitabile - Crucifixus

Crucifixus

I' ero 'o cielo, 'o cielo ca scenneva
I' ero 'a terra, 'a terra ca saglieva
I' ero 'o viento, 'o viento ca sciusciava
I' ero 'o mare, 'o mare ca s'agitava

I' ero 'e nnùvole tristi e mmèste
I' ero ll'aria, ll'aria 'e tempesta
I' ero 'o sole ca s' annascunneva
I' ero 'a muntagna ca scuorno se metteva

I' ero 'a croce, 'a croce 'ncopp' 'e spalle
I' ero 'na spina, 'a spina mièzo 'e cciglie
I' ero 'o chiuòvo 'e l'ultima martellata
I' ero 'a frusta 'int' a 'na mana sèmpe aizàta

I' ero 'e 'mmazzate 'ncopp'
E ccarne chiène 'e mulignane
Ie 'e iastèmme d' 'a 'ggente, ie 'na sputazzata
I' ero 'na lancia, 'a lancia 'int' 'o custato
I' ero 'o sango, ca nun s'è maie stagnato

I' ero 'a Mamma ca chiagnèva dint' 'a pòvere
Ie arèto all'uorto d'aulive tagliavo 'a rròbba
I' ero Maddalena ca pe' truvà 'nu Dio perdette n'ommo
Ie fuie liberato e mme levàie 'a tuorno

Ie primma ca 'o gallo cantava me l'anniaie tre vòte
Ie doppo a 'nu vaso m' 'O vennètte pe' quatto sovere
Ie bell' e buòno risuscitaie d' 'a morte
I' ero surdo, cecato, muto, i' ero zuoppo

I' ero 'o surdato romano ca se iucàie 'a tònaca
Ie ca nun sò degno ca Tu trase: "Fàmme 'stu miràculo"
Ie mme ne lavàie 'e mmane pecchè 'o fatto nun era d' 'o mie
Ie dint' 'a sinagoga ero 'nu Messia

Ie cu 'na pèlla 'ncuòllo dève 'e nùmmeri dint' 'o desèrto
Ie pè 'o fà taglià 'a capa abballàie annanzo 'o re c' 'e 'ccoscie aperte
Ie deve 'e denare c' 'o 'nteresse, ie faceve 'a vammana
Ie diceve 'e palle e arrubbàve, ie faceve 'a vita 'ncopp' 'o lupanàro

Ie pe' fà parià facevo 'o gladiatore
Ie mme magnàve vivi pe' mestiere facevo 'o lione
I' ero 'n 'ago addò 'nu ricco nun nce passava
I' ero ll' acqua addò Isso cammenava

Ie "chi nun tenève peccate menàsse 'a primma preta"
Ie uno còmme 'a n'ato ca se mureva 'e sete
Ie facevo finta 'e niente c' 'a coda 'e ll' uòcchie guardàve annanzo
Ie 'ncoppa' 'a n'ata croce ero uno 'e chilli senza speranza

Ie apprièsso 'a 'nu regno ca nun era 'e chesta terra
Ie 'nu sadduceo ca mazzecava sèmpe
I' ero 'a faraona d' 'e piramidi fino 'a luna
Ie 'nu profeta cunuscevo tutte 'e scritture

I' ero 'nu cavaliere d' 'a tavola rotonda
Ie c' 'u gli elefanti arrivaie fino 'a Capemonte
I' ero 'o bbarbaro tanto oro quanto pesave
Ie quanno senteve 'e tammuri votta 'a schiarà 'a iurnata

I' ero 'nu cardinale 'e 'nu tribbunale senza core
Ie chella Femmena attaccata 'a 'nu palo 'ncopp' 'o fuòco
I' ero 'a rivoluzione c' 'u tutte 'e cape appese
Ie 'a campagna 'e guèrra, muòrti, surore e neve

Ie chillo c'a criato 'e campi 'e concentramento
Ie vulevo 'o munno e nun vulevo sapè niente
I' ero 'na stella 'ncopp' 'o piggiamo 'e 'na coccia rasata
Ie uno 'e chilli sei miliuni ca nun sapevano d' essere squagliati

Ie traspurtavo 'e nire d' 'a 'na parte 'a n'ata
Ie penne e faccia pittata dint' 'a 'nu recinto parcheggiato
Ie lettere anonime e cammisa nera
Ie mme facevo vasà 'a mana pe' rispetto 'ncopp' 'e quartieri

I' ero ll'alleato ca purtava 'a pace facènne 'o burdèll'
Ie trafficave 'e cannuni 'e coca cole e 'e bandière c' 'e stelle
Ie me scetaje matina pe' appiccià chella miccia
Ie stevo 'o paese d' 'o muro e d' 'e spie c' 'e recchie dint' 'e cuoll' 'e pelliccia

Ie 'ngiarmavo 'a guerriglia contro 'e reggimi d' 'e colonnelli
Ie carcerato in Africa anni e anni simme tutti fratelli
Ie c' 'o sciopero d'a famme libberaie l'India senza 'nu colpo 'e pistola
Ie 'o Pastore ca marciava c' 'e pecore 'e ogni razza 'e ogni culore

Ie Susan 16 anni in Uganda prigiuniera 'e guerra
Ie 'o ribbelle c' 'o fucile puntato: "chisto è 'o bastone accide 'a chillo"
Ie piccirilli, piccirilli 'e faceve faticà còmme 'e ciucci
Ie 'a Serva d' 'e poveri aunavo 'e malati 'nterra Calcutta

Ie 'o Monaco Santo, mmiria e stimmate mièzo 'e mmane
Ie accidevo e basta, frate, sòra, mamma e pate
Ie Nanninella 'a funtanera 'a botta 'e sofferenze dint' 'a 'nu lettino
Ie dint' 'a 'na vuttazzella c' 'u 'na mappatella dint' 'o dito

Ie 'a nomme 'e Dio aggio sèmpe fatto 'a guerra santa
Ie ll'armi chimiche, 'o petrolio e cummannave io 'o cummanno
Ie 'na minoranza etnica ca era scumparì pure ll'ombra
Ie 'nu palestinese ma chiù ca n'ommo
Ero 'na bomba

I' ero nun 'o saccio si n' è valùta 'a pena
Ie nun saccio chi ero
Ma me chiammavano 'o Nazzareno

Crucifixus

I was the sky, the sky that descended
I was the earth, the earth that ascended
I was the wind, the wind that rustled
I was the sea, the sea that churned

I was the clouds, sad and gloomy
I was the air, the air of the storm
I was the sun that hid itself
I was the mountain that was ashamed

I was the cross, the cross on my shoulders
I was a thorn, the thorn between my brows
I was the nail of the final blow
I was the whip in a hand always raised

I was the beatings on
Flesh full of bruises
I was the people's mockery, I was a spit
I was a spear, the spear in the side
I was the blood that never stopped flowing

I was the Mother who wept in poverty
I was the one who cut my clothes behind the olive garden
I was Magdalene who lost a man to find a God
I was freed and I removed myself from the tomb

I denied Him three times before the rooster crowed
He was sold for four coins after a kiss
Beautiful and good, I rose from the dead
I was deaf, blind, mute, I was lame

I was the Roman soldier who gambled for the tunic
I who am not worthy for You to enter: "Perform this miracle for me"
I washed my hands because the deed was not mine
I was a Messiah in the synagogue

I bore numbers on my neck with a skin in the desert
To save her head, I danced before the king with open thighs
I owed money with interest, I was a flame
I told lies and stole, I made my living in the brothel

I was a gladiator to make ends meet
I ate them alive, I was a lion by trade
I was a needle through which a rich man could not pass
I was the water where He walked

I said "let him who is without sin cast the first stone"
I was one like another who was dying of thirst
I pretended nothing while watching from the corner of my eye
On another cross, I was one of those without hope

I followed a kingdom that was not of this earth
I was a Sadducee who always fought
I was the pharaoh of the pyramids up to the moon
I was a prophet, I knew all the scriptures

I was a knight of the round table
With elephants, I reached Cape Monte
I was the barbarian, as much gold as I weighed
When I heard the drums, the day turned into night

I was a cardinal of a heartless tribunal
I was that Woman tied to a stake over the fire
I was the revolution with all its heads hung
I was the battlefield, deaths, sweat and snow

I was the one who created the concentration camps
I wanted the world and didn't want to know anything
I was a star on the lapel of a shaved head
I was one of those six million who didn't know they were melted

I transported blacks from one place to another
Feathers and painted face, parked in an enclosure
Anonymous letters and a black shirt
I had my hand kissed out of respect in the neighborhoods

I was the ally who brought peace by making a mess
I trafficked coca-cola cannons and flags with stars
I woke up in the morning to light that fuse
I was the country of the wall and spies with ears in fur collars

I armed the guerrillas against the regimes of the colonels
Imprisoned in Africa for years and years, we are all brothers
With the hunger strike, I liberated India without a single shot
I was the Shepherd who marched with sheep of every race and every color

I was Susan, 16 years old, a prisoner of war in Uganda
I was the rebel with the gun pointed: "this is the stick that kills that one"
I made children, little children work like donkeys
I was the Servant of the poor, I anointed the sick on the ground in Calcutta

I was the Holy Monk, myrrh and stigmata in the midst of my hands
I just killed, brother, sister, mother and father
I was Nanninella, the fountain girl, a bundle of suffering in a small bed
I was in a small boat with a small map on my finger

In the name of God, I always fought the holy war
Chemical weapons, oil, and I was in command
I was an ethnic minority whose shadow had even disappeared
I was a Palestinian but more than a man
I was a bomb

I was, I don't know if it was worth it
I don't know who I was
But they called me the Nazarene