The embittered
- 1. Fun fact: Riccardo Bertoncelli is a music critic who had torn to shreds an earlier album by Guccini and accused him of having sold himself to the majors. Shortly afterwards, they met to discuss the review and the song and started to like each other. Guccini offered to remove the name from the song, but Bertoncelli declined. (Thanks Gyps Fulvus for the explanation!)
Guest on 2015-12-17
Vallo Dicendo
matilda2340
Fri, 08/01/2016 - 20:08
I know, it helps understanding ;-) - but don't forget - I am austrian- there might be still bad mistakes!!!!!
have a nice day
Gyps Fulvus
Wed, 16/03/2016 - 20:49
Hi! Great job on a very difficult song. It's full of reference to very specific aspects of the Italian cultural environment of the early 70s. A few ideas to complete what matilda2340 (good job too!) has already said:
"Has it been life books or my provincialism"
blame the books or my provincialism
"Doubts of the mainstream are what stay with me"
suspicion of political apathy is all I've got left now
"When I fancy without applauses nor whistles"
whenever I feel like it, regardless of applause or boos
(In Italy, a disapproving audience whistles at performers)
"According to you, but what do I care"
According to you, what do I care
("ma" = but, however in this case it is just pleonastic)
"Me fag, me who sings because I know how to lead people on"
Me fag, me I-am-a-singer-know-how-to-pick-up-girls
"Want me to blaspheme"
a desire to swear
"tiramento" is slang, it probably means "sob story"
"teorete" = theoretical philosopher
" the clothes I only know to wear"
the clothes I usually wear
"...and fuck everybody else!"
...and fuck everything else!
Fun fact: Riccardo Bertoncelli is a music critic who had torn to shreds an earlier album by Guccini and accused him of having sold himself to the majors. Shortly afterwards, they met to discuss the review and the song and started to like each other. Guccini offered to remove the name from the song, but Bertoncelli declined.
Gyps Fulvus
Thu, 17/03/2016 - 15:36
Hi! Thank you for your message. First of all, I made a mistake in one of my suggestions:
"Me fag, me who sings because I know how to lead people on"
Me fag, me I-am-a-singer-I-know-how-to-pick-up-girls
(the second "I" was missing in the previous version, sorry)
Then, regarding "But if I had expected all of this", English is not my mother language, so I am not sure how to deal with it. You are right, it's the same structure used in the other sentences, I never realized it :) I don't think it's a big deal, but you could remove the "but" here too.
As for the whistles, in this case I am pretty confident Guccini is referring to a booing crowd, especially because applause is mentioned too, although sometimes whistles are a way of showing support too.
@matilda2340: I love your suggestion "eletta schiera" = "elected flock". That's brilliant!
Everyone, good job!
Gyps Fulvus
Sun, 20/03/2016 - 03:01
Hi, I have just realized there may be something missing:
"Compagni" is the word that Communist sympathizers use(d) to address each other and should probably be translated as "Comrades". This term does have a lot of other uses in Italian (i.e. "compagni di scuola" = schoolmates; "compagni di squadra" = teammates) but I'd say in this case it refers to people with similar political views. Similarly, "militanti severi" probably refers to strict followers of Communist Party ideas, but the translation works fine IMHO.
Gyps Fulvus
Sun, 20/03/2016 - 16:22
Well, I am not 100% sure, but I think it refers to the poetical meter, i.e. the rhythmic structure of verses and by extension of song lyrics:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metre_%28poetry%29
So he's probably saying that he always considered songwriting a pastime and he doesn't want his songs to be taken too seriously. Basically it's the same message as "But I have never said that with songs /
You can make revolutions, you can make poetry".
The '70s in Italy were a period of strong political clashes and later other singers (especially Francesco De Gregori) were harshly criticized by the far left who saw their songs as not enough politically charged.
Therefore your current translation works very well IMHO!
Sorry for the lengthy explanation, hope this helps.
Gyps Fulvus
Sun, 20/03/2016 - 20:22
Well, the expression "sapere usare o no d'un certo metro" is not standard Italian, but rather what we would call "linguaggio aulico".
Anyway, your translation was and is excellent!
From Wordreference:
For "linguaggio aulico" in Italian we mean a language which is refined, which you don't use in ordinary conversation, which you can find, most of all, in works of "high" literature. Generally speaking, a language which is associated to a superior education, expecially education in humanistic subjects.
http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/linguaggio-aulico.1447058/
Stefano8
Wed, 10/11/2021 - 21:01
"dati causa e pretesto" means "given cause and pretext".
That is, "If, given the cause and the pretext, I had foreseen all of this, [had foreseen] the present conclusions, ..."
"per un po' di milioni" is a few millions lire, which would correspond to a few (tens of) thousands of euros now.
First of all - I appreciate your work!!!
I have to confess that neither English nor Italian is anything near like my mother language, but nevertheless I would like to make some suggestions - that would have to be verified by others, of course!
As great as was the first thing I studied.
I think it should be:
of my kind, as great as it is, I am the first who studied
They have seen life the books and my provincialism
(has it been the books or my provincialism)
Doubts of apathy are what I have left
(doubts of the mainstream is what I still have/stays with me)
Are made revolutions or could be made poesy.
(you can make revolutions, you can make poetry)
Selling or not selling is part of my risks,
(selling or not is not part of my risk)
But according to you I don't give a shit Of assuming the rancor Of being here singing?
(according to you, but what do I care about taking the trouble of standing up there singing)
But according to you who forces me
(according to you, but who makes me stay and listen..)
Of course, the doctor says "You're depressive"
(obvious ....)
Colleagues composer-songwriter-player
(songwriter colleagues, elected flock?)
And then I scrape a living and I do not get dressed With the clothes I used to wear
(And so I move on, and I don't shuffle off the clothes I only know to wear)
love and hugs