Journal of Italian Translation

English Translations of Poems by Cesare Fagiani
by Gil Fagiani
Gil Fagiani co-hosts the monthly open reading of the Italian American
Writers’ Association at the Cornelia Street Café. He has published two poetry
chapbooks: “Crossing 116th Street: A Blanquito in El Barrio,” by Skidrow
Penthouse, and “Rooks,” by Rain Mountain Press. In 2005, he won an “Honorable
Mention” for both the Allen Ginsberg Poetry Awards, and the
Bordighera Prize. Gil’s translations include the poetry of three North African
immigrants living in Italy due to be published in a Bilingual Anthology
of Italian Migrant Poetry edited by Luigi Bonaffini and Mia Lecomte.
Born in Lanciano, Cesare Fagiani (1901-1965) was considered one of
Abruzzo’s leading poets from the 1930s to the 1960s. His poetry has been
included in numerous anthologies and published in local, regional and
national magazines and newspapers. In 1951, he won first prize along with
Alfredo Luciani, at the first Modesto Della Porta Convention of Abruzzese
Poetry. His principal works include: Luna nove (New Moon), 1949, Stamme
e sentì (Stay With Me and Listen), 1954, Fenestre aperte (Open Windows),
1966, and Teatro abruzzese di Cesare Fagiani, (Cesare Fagiani’s Abruzzese
Theater), 1961.
Note on translation
The dialect I have translated is referred to by local people as Lancianese,
that is the language of Lanciano, a city of 30,000 inhabitants in Abruzzo.
Although people familiar with Abruzzese dialects in general have proved
helpful, at times I needed to consult with people who grew up in Lanciano in
order to obtain the full flavor of a particular word or expression. A second
challenge stemmed from the fact that many of the poems I’ve worked on were
written more than 70 years ago. Lancianese, like all languages, has evolved
over time. Some words and expressions are now extinct. Therefore, for the
sake of accuracy, I’ve had to seek out and consult with people fluent in
Lancianese who are in their 70s and 80s. In this regard, I’ve had the good
fortune to be given a rare Abruzzese dictionary, Vocabulario abruzzese, by
Nicola De Archangelo, published in 1930, by one of the daughters of the poet
I translated.