Paroles et traduction Francesco De Gregori - L'Impiccato

L'Impiccato

Uno l'hanno preso ieri sera, giovane giovane
E figlio di buona donna, era

Figlio di buona donna e pure ladro
Con un sorriso tutto denti di cane
Si nascondeva dietro una serie di "che ne so?"

Poi ne hanno preso un altro
Padre di famiglia, faccia scura scura
Vestito grigio, camicia, cravatta
Sguardo perduto all'arrivo in questura

Il terzo, accusato di oltraggio
Non fece in tempo a aprire la bocca
Che un pugno lo mise a sedere
Allora chiese una sigaretta e confessò in fretta
Tutto quello che il commissario voleva sapere

Il quarto si chiamava Tommaso
E pregava e piangeva
Chiese di telefonare all'avvocato
Ma l'avvocato non rispondeva

E il quinto venne assunto in galera
Per un indizio da niente
Venne assunto in galera
E il quinto venne assunto in galera
Per un indizio da poco
E fu crocefisso col ferro e col fuoco

Forse per un errore
O forse perché era stato scoperto
Forse un'implicita confessione
Oppure soltanto lo sconforto
E tutti si domandarono
Di che segno era il morto

Hangman

They caught one last night, an extremely young man
And he was the son of a good woman

Son of a good woman and also a thief
With a piercing smile full of doglike teeth
Concealing himself behind a string of "Who knows?"

Then they caught another
Father of a family, complexion dark and dusky
Gray suit, shirt, and tie
Vacant stare upon arrival at police headquarters

The third, accused of contempt
He didn't have a moment to open his mouth
Before a fist floored him
He then asked for a cigarette and quickly confessed
Everything the chief inspector was longing to know

The fourth was called Thomas
And he prayed and cried
He requested a phone call to his lawyer
But the lawyer didn't answer

And the fifth was arrested in prison
For a lousy alibi
He was arrested in prison
And the fifth was arrested in prison
For a silly reason
And he was crucified with iron and fire

Possibly due to a mistake
Or because he had been found out
An implicit confession, perhaps
Or just plain discouragement
And everyone was wondering
What type of person the man who died was