S'i' fosse foco

[Fox Saint-Just]

The famous sonnet written by Cecco Angiolieri.

Original version

[hide]S'i' fosse foco, ardare' ål mondo;
s'i' fosse vento, lo tempestarei;
s'i' fosse acqua, I' l'annegarei;
s'i' fosse Dio, mandereil' en profondo;

s'i' fosse papa, sare' allor giocondo,
ché tutti cristiani embrigarei;
s'i' fosse åmperator, sa' che farei?
a tutti mozzarei lo capo a tondo.

S'i' fosse morte, andarei a me' padre;
s'i' fosse vita, fuggirei da lui;
similemente faria da mi' madre.

S'i' fosse Cecco, com' I' sono e fui,
torrei le donne givani e leggiadre;
le zoppe e laide lasserei altrui.[/hide]

English

[hide]If I were fire, I would burn the world;
if I were wind, I would bestorm it;
if I were water, I would drown it;
if I were God, I would send it into the deep;

If I were Pope, I would be happy,
as I would trouble all Christians;
if I were emperor, do you know what I would do?
I would chop off the heads of them all.

If I were death, I would go to my father;
if I were life, I would run from him,
and I would do the same for my mother.

If I were Cecco, as I am and have been,
I would take for myself the young and pretty women,
and leave the lame and ugly for others.[/hide]

Ardlang

Agar m'es agni, me ud bren al dunya;
Agar m'es vat, me ud tufan he;
Agar m'es woda, me ud garaqa he;
Agar m'es Dew, me ud son he a budno.

Agar m'es Papa, me ud es xinfu,
Sabab me ud kuton omni Qristist;
Agar m'es Imperator, gnoz tu ko me ud fa?
Me ud kata al kap a omni jen.

Agar m'es mort, me ud it a mey patro;
Agar m'es jiv, me ud eskap ab hu,
Simil-di me ud fa ab mey matra.

Agar m'es Ceko, kam m'es wa me bu;
Me ud nem pro me i yun wa sundar gina,
Wa las a ali i lam wa cow.