S’i’ fosse foco, arderei ’l mondo (Sonetto LXXXVI)
S’i’ fosse foco, arderei ’l mondo;
s’i’ fosse vento, lo tempesterei;
s’i’ fosse acqua, i’ l’annegherei;
s’i’ fosse Dio, mandereil’ en profondo;
s’i’ fosse papa, sare’ allor giocondo,
ché tutti cristiani imbrigherei;
s’i’ fosse ‘mperator, sa’ che farei?
A tutti mozzarei lo capo a tondo.
S’i’ fosse morte, andarei da mio padre;
s’i’ fosse vita, fuggirei da lui:
similemente faría da mi’ madre.
S’i’ fosse Cecco, com’i’ sono e fui,
torrei le donne giovani e leggiadre,
e vecchie e laide lasserei altrui.
(da Poeti del Duecento, a cura di G. Contini, Ricciardi)
Cecco Angiolieri (Siena, 1260-1313 circa)
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Due versioni inglesi
(Two english versions)
Cecco Angiolieri, Sonnet 86
If I were fire, I’d burn up the world
If I were fire, I’d burn up the world;
if I were storm, I’d raise a giant swell
and drown it all; if I were God I’d hurl
this rat’s-ass circus all the way to hell.
If I were pope, how happy I would be!
I’d cheat the Christians blind and suck their blood.
To serve as emperor I might agree,
so I could chop off everybody’s head.
If I were death, I’d go to see my dad—
of course with mother I would do the same.
If I were life, I’d run from them like mad.
If I were Cecco, as I was and am,
I’d take the lovely and the lively dames
and leave for you the ugly and the sad.
translation © 1999, 2001 Leonard Cottrell. All rights reserved
Source: Planck.com was Leonard Cottrell’s web site
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Sonnet, If I were fire, I’d burn the world away
translation © Paul Violi
Angiolieri’s “S’i’ fosse foco”
If I were fire, I’d burn the world away;
If I were wind, I’d blow it down;
If I were water, I’d let it drown;
If I were God, I’d deep-six it today.
If I were Pope, what would make me gay?
To ransack every Christian town.
If I were emperor, what would make my day?
To see heads roll on the ground!
If I were death, I’d run down my father;
If I were life, I’d flee from him.
As for dear mama, she gets the same.
If I were Cecco, and that is my name,
I’d take the pretty young girls to screw
and leave the ugly old hags to you.
Paul Violi, “Sonnet” from Likewise. Copyright © 1988 by Paul Violi. Reprinted by permission of Hanging Loose Press.
Source: Likewise (Hanging Loose Press, 1988)
Source: Poetry Foundation
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Due versioni musicali: Fabrizio De André e Leo Ferrè
De André: versione del 1968 (periodo che coincide con la “rivolta studentesca”) inserita nell’album Volume III.
Léo Ferré: la sua versione è in un 45 giri dal titolo Cecco/Allende del 1981, brano poi inserito nella riedizione del 2000 della raccolta La musica mi prende come l’amore (ascolto da 0.46″).