were I......a sonnet

an expression by Cecco Angiolieri    (  + 1312   )                 


















S'i' fosse foco....









S'i' fosse foco, ardare'  'l mondo;
s'i' fosse vento, lo tempestarei;
s'i' fosse acqua, I' l'annegarei;
s'i' fosse Dio, mandereil' en profondo;

s'i' fosse papa, sare' allor giocondo,
ché tutti cristiani embrigarei;
s'i' fosse emperator, sa' che farei?
a tutti mozzarei lo capo a tondo.

S'i' fosse morte, andarei a me' padre;
s'i' fosse vita, fuggirei da lui;
similemente faria da mi' madre.

S'i' fosse Cecco, com' I' sono e fui,
torrei le donne givani e leggiadre;
le zoppe e laide lasserei altrui.




























        (Translation).....Gavin Bryars







If I were fire, I would burn the world;  
if I were wind, I would bestorm it;
if I were water, I would drown it; 
 if I were God, I would hurl it into the deep;

If I were Pope, I would be happy,  
 as I would harry all Christians;
if I were emperor, do you know what I would do?
I would chop off the heads of the lot of them.

If I were death, I would go to my father;
if I were life, I would run from him,  
and I would do the same for my mother.

If I were Cecco, as I am and have been, 
 I would take for myself all the young and pretty women,
and leave the lame and ugly for others.




























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