Journal of Italian Translation

Adria Bernardi/Raffaello Baldini
if you scream and yell it’s worse, then they’re pointing fingers at you,
but Franca, certain things, she just never figured out,
no, you’re right, it’s all just talk, all this, it wears you out,
you do the best you can, from the outside, we all look good
but when it’s you, seeing your husband,
here I am now, I’ll be seeing you, Caterina,
do you have any that’s fresh, Nazario? sausage?
three good long pieces, no, make it four,
and a little of the crackling, which Paolo likes,
yesterday you gave me a piece of meat that was inedible,
I used it to make broth, I’m telling you it was tough,
you know it too, come one, don’t put me on,
what’s steer meat got to do with it?
the steer meat was good, I didn’t tell you?
but the meat, Paolo got mad,
he likes it tender, he, how can I explain it to you?
what do you mean he’s spoiled? are you pulling my leg?
and what about you?
Bina, and where have you been, I haven’t seen you in ages?
oh, a trip? where? how nice, and me,
mine won’t budge,
but now I’d like to, I’d like, every once in awhile
to take a trip, see some things but him, sure,
and where are you going now? I’ve got to go to Elda’s
to get some spinach,
do you have some greens too?
a half kilo, which is even too much, there, that’s good,
where did you leave Nino? he’s in bed?
with a fever? the flu? oh well, it’s going around,
Flavia’s sick in bed too, she’s got a bad cold,
on top of it, she smokes,
which I’m always telling her, I do, smoking’s not good for you,
it’s poison, sure, try talking to her, what time is it?
it’s ten? really? I’ll see you
oh there’s Dolores, wait,
Dolores, I’ve got one thing to ask you,
are you in a hurry, it’ll take just a second,
you knew Missiroli well, right?
because last night we were arguing, with my husband,
he says, he is so stubborn,
he says that he came from Verucchio, which I don’t know where
he gets these things, he was from Bellaria, wasn’t he?
see, see there, that I’m right, I was sure of it,
I remember, your mother, worked twenty years in his shop,
but Paolo when he digs his heels in, I know, it’s late,
93