La figlia delle cavallette Daughter of Locusts

La figlia delle cavallette

Cavallette, cielo oscurato,
terra flagellata. Una madre
si affanna sul letto. 
Un tetro mese settembre,
mancano verde e verdure!
 
«Ileleleleleleleleleleleleleil...!
Ileleleleleleleleleleleleleil...!
Ileleleleleleleleleleleleleil...!»
 
Appena arrivata al mondo
cominciò col suo pianto!
 
Liberata dalla sofferenza,
si cominciò la ricerca del latte
bussando le varie porte.
 
Bestiame stecchito e senza latte,
come calmare l'ospite?
Come dissetare la partoriente?
Se non fossero clementi le caprette!
 
In quel momento desolato
divorò il latte appena munto
e riprese il suo pianto.
 
«La buffa piange ancora?!»
 
«Sì quella bozzai,
come se mancassero altri guai!».
«Povera cocca mia...sboccia
al caos e alla carestia!»
 

Daughter of Locusts

Locusts, darkened sky,
flayed earth. A mother
panting in bed.
 
A gloomy month, September,
void of vegetables and greenery.
 
'Ileleleleleleleleleleleleleil...!
Ileleleleleleleleleleleleleil...!
Ileleleleleleleleleleleleleil...!
 
Her crying started as soon
as she came into the world.
 
Freed from suffering
the search for milk began
going from door to door.
 
Emaciated livestock lacking milk -
how to soothe the guest?
How to quench a new mother's thirst?
if the goats are not merciful.
 
In that desolate moment
she devoured the milk that had just been milked
and took up her crying once more.
 
'Is that chubby one crying again?'
 
'Roly-poly's crying -
as if there wasn't enough trouble'
 
'My poor little one... born into
chaos and famine!'
 

The Daughter of the Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers, darkened sky
earth flogged. A mother
worries in bed.
 
A gloomy month september,
where green and vegetables are missing!
 
'Ileleleleleleleleleleleleleil...!
Ileleleleleleleleleleleleleil...!
Ileleleleleleleleleleleleleil...!
 
As soon as she arrived into the world
began her cry!
 
Freed from suffering,
the search for milk began
knocking on various doors.
 
Skinny livestock and without milk,
how to appease the guest?
How to quench the thirst of she who is giving birth?
If the goats were not merciful/mild!
 
In that desolate moment
devoured the milk that had just been milked
and took up her crying again.
 
'Is tubby crying again?!'
 
'Yes, the roly-poly one,
as if there were'nt enough troubles already!'.
'Poor little one of mine...bloom from
chaos and famine!'
 

The month of September in Eritrea is considered to be Spring.

When a girl is born, female neighbours sound out three trills (whereas when it’s a boy the number is seven).

Buffa and bozzai are nicknames that mean little fatty one/chubby.

Andre Naffis-Sahely, Literal Translator

Original Poem by

Ribka Sibhatu

Translated by

André Naffis-Sahely with The Poetry Translation Workshop Language

Italian

Country

Eritrea