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A classical song/theater piece by Giorgio Gaber
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Author notes

  1. This song/theater piece is from circa 1992;

  2. the original has all masculine adjectives/pronouns, I switched to "they/them" in the translation because I'm pretty sure it is not meant to be meaningfully gendered, Italian just doesn't have a way to express that - and also, see above;

  3. I suggest you have the recording playing in the background as you read, the text has a very clear structure and rhythm so it should be doable to follow it even if you don't speak Italian.


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"Sorry [what did you say]? (Come?)"

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"No, that's not true I, I have nothing to reproach myself for. (No, non è vero io, io non ho niente da rimproverarmi.)"

"I mean, I don't think I've done anything serious, you know? (Cioè, non mi sembra di aver fatto delle cose gravi, ecco.)"

"My life? (La mia vita?)"

"A normal life, I've never stolen, not even at home as a kid. (Una vita normale, non ho mai rubato, neanche in casa da piccolo.)"

"I've never killed anyone, imagine that! (Non ho ammazzato nessuno, figuriamoci?)"

"I work, I have a family, I pay taxes, I don't think I'm to blame, there. (Lavoro, ho una famiglia, pago le tasse, non mi sembra di avere delle colpe, ecco.)

"I've never even been an assessor for that matter. (Non ho fatto mai neanche l'assessore per dire.)"

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"Sorry again? (Come?)"

"Oh you were talking about before… ah, before… (Ah voi parlavate di prima… ah, prima…)"

"Eh, before… well, before I did as everyone else did. (Eh beh, prima, prima, prima mi sono comportato come tutti.) I dunno. (Non so.)"

"How did I dress? (Come mi vestivo?)"

"I dressed… like now, I guess. (Mi vestivo, mi vestivo… come ora, ecco.)"

"Well, maybe not exactly like I do right now, just a little bit more… (Magari non proprio come ora, un po’ più…) yeah, jeans, a sweater… (sì, jeans, un maglione…)an eskimo*. (l’eskimo.)"

"Why? (Perché?) Anything wrong with it? (Non va bene?) It was comfortable. (Era comodo.)"

"Say again? What I used to sing? (Come? Cosa cantavo?)"

"Oh, this now, you want to know what I used to sing, (Oh, questa poi, volete sapere cosa cantavo,) yeah of course I also sang popular songs… (ma sì certo, anche, anche canzoni popolari sì…)"

"Ciao bella ciao"

"Do I need to speak louder? (Devo parlare più forte?) Yes, I did sing Ciao bella ciao, (Sì Ciao bella ciao l’ho cantata,) and even the Internationale (e anche l’Internazionale sì,) but that one only in a group. (però in coro eh.)"

Footnotes * The eskimo was a symbol of left wing students, and of left wing politics in general, so wearing one was often a statement.
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"Yeah, I'll admit to that, (Sì quello sì quello lo ammetto sì,) I went to see them. (ci sono andato sì. ) I have seen the Inti-Illimani [sing]. (Li ho visti anch’io gli Intillimani.)"

"But I didn't cry. (Però non ho pianto.)"

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"Say again? (Come?) Whether I have pictures in my room? (Se in camera ho delle foto?)"

"Of course I do, obviously, I got my parents' pictures, my wife's, my d[aughter]… (Che discorsi, certo, c'ho le foto dei miei genitori, di mia moglie, di mia f…) posters? I don't remember… well, maybe one, a small one… (manifesti? Non mi ricordo… forse uno, ecco sì, piccolo poi…)"

"Che Guevara."

"What is this, a trial? (Ma cos’è un processo questo qui? ) "

"No, no, I'm sorry, I never raised my fist, never ever raised it. (No, no, quello no, mi disp-, quello mi dispiace ma io il pugno non l’ho mai fatto, no il pugno mai, mai mai.)"

"Well. Maybe once. But a small fist, really small. (Eh insomma, forse una volta ecco, ma un pugnettino piccolo, proprio.)"

"What? (Come? ) Whether I was a communist? (Se ero comunista?) Ah, you do like direct questions, eh. (Ah, vi mi piacciono le domande dirette eh.)"

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"You want to know whether I was a communist? (Volete sapere se ero comunista?) No, no, finally, because nowadays nobody talks about that, (No no finalmente, perché adesso non ne parla più nessuno,) everyone pretends nothing happened, and instead… (tutti fanno finta di niente, e invece...) instead it's good to clarify these things, once and for all. (e invece è giusto chiarirle queste cose, una volta per tutte.)"

"Oooh, whether I was a communist? (good, good)… (Oooh, se ero comunista? (benissimo, benissimo)...)"

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"What do you mean exactly? (In che senso?)"

"No, I mean… (No, voglio dire...)"

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"Someone was a communist because he was born in Emilia (Qualcuno era comunista perché era nato in Emilia)"

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"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because their grandpa, their uncle, their dad... (perché il nonno, lo zio, il papà...)"

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"Their mum… not so much. (La mamma… no.)"

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"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because they saw Russia as a promise, (perché vedeva la Russia come una promessa,) China as a poem, (la Cina come una poesia, ) communism as paradise on earth. (il comunismo come il paradiso terrestre.)"

"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because they felt lonely. (perché si sentiva solo.)"

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"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because their education had been too catholic. (perché aveva avuto un'educazione troppo cattolica.)"

"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista ) because cinema demanded it, (perché il cinema lo esigeva,) theater demanded it, (il teatro lo esigeva,) painting demanded it, (la pittura lo esigeva,) literature too: (la letteratura anche:) everyone demanded it! (lo esigevano tutti!)"

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"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because history is on our side! (perché la storia è dalla nostra parte!)"

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"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista ) because they told them (perché glielo avevano detto)"

"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista ) because they hadn't told them everything. (perché non gli avevano detto tutto.)"

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"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista ) because before, before, before they were a fascist. (perché prima, prima, prima, era fascista.)"

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"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because they understood that Russia went slowly but far. (perché aveva capito che la Russia andava piano ma lontano.)"

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"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because Berlinguer was a good person. (perché Berlinguer era una brava persona.)"

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"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because Andreotti was not a good person. (perché Andreotti non era una brava persona.)"

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"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because they were rich, but loved the common people. (perché era ricco ma amava il popolo.)"

"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because they drank wine and got emotional at folk festivals. (perché beveva il vino e si commuoveva alle feste popolari.)"

"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because they were so atheist that they needed another God. (perché era così ateo che aveva bisogno di un altro Dio.)"

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"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because they were so fascinated with [blue collar] workers (perché era talmente affascinato dagli operai) that they wanted to be one of them. (che voleva essere uno di loro.)"

"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because they couldn't stand being a [blue collar] worker anymore. (perché non ne poteva più di fare l'operaio.)"

"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because they wanted a raise. (perché voleva l'aumento di stipendio.)"

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"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because revolution? (perché la rivoluzione?) Not today, (Oggi, no,) maybe tomorrow (domani forse)

but definitely the day after tomorrow. (ma dopodomani sicuramente.)"

"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because: (perché:) 'The bourgeoisie, ('La borghesia, ) the proletariat, (il proletariato,) class struggle, (la lotta di classe,) dammit' (cazzo.')"

"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) to piss off their father. (per fare rabbia a suo padre.)"

"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because they only watched Rai 3 (perché guardava solo Rai 3.)"

"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) as a fashion, (per moda,) someone as a principle, (qualcuno per principio,) someone because of frustration. (qualcuno per frustrazione.)"

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"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because they wanted to nationalize everything. (perché voleva statalizzare tutto.)"

"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because they didn't know enough about state employees, (perché non conosceva gli impiegati statali,) parastatal employees and so on. ( parastatali e affini.)"

"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista) because they confused dialectical materialism (perché aveva scambiato il materialismo dialettico) for the Gospel according to Lenin. (per il Vangelo secondo Lenin.)"

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"Someone was a communist (Qualcuno era comunista ) because they were convinced (perché era convinto) the working class was behind them. (di avere dietro di sè la classe operaia.)"

Total: 37
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