- FEBRUARY 2018 -
Puglia
Dialect Proverbs
A fantastic state-of-the-art teaching tool: the nursery-rhyme
by Alberto Sobrero I capelli d’oroLa fronte medica
Le due candele
Lu ruccu ruccu
Lu mangiatuttu
Lu centrune
Lu capasune
[Hair of gold
Medical brow
Two candles
Pigeon
Snow pea
Shaft
Full goatskin]
(Salento) November 2016
When parody flouts the sacred
by Alberto Sobrero Patre, chjacuneciggere fritte
e maccarune
[Father, dried figs,
fried chick peas and macaroni]
(Bari) September 2016
Happiness depends on how we manage our time
by Alberto Sobrero Quiddu ca t’à mangiare osce, màngiatelu craiquiddu c’à fare crai, fallu osce
[What you have to eat today, eat it tomorrow;
what you have to do tomorrow, do it today]
(Salento) July 2016
If the branch indicates quality…
by Alberto Sobrero U mmìire bbuène non ave abbeseggne de frasche[Good wine needs no branches]
(Bari) May 2016
Women, what deceivers!
by Alberto Sobrero Tre ccose còstene chère:carezze de chene, amore de femmene, nvite d’oste.
Megghie fè se ne nt’accoste
[Three things cost you dear:
the patting of a dog, the love of a woman, the invitation of an innkeeper.
You’re better off steering clear]
(Gargano) April 2016
Back when the proverb was dictated by the calendar...
by Alberto Sobrero Te Santu FrangiscuLa sita allu canistru
[On St Frances
Pomegranate in the basket]
(Salento) February 2016
Be prepared for disappointment!
by Alberto Sobrero Quannu te cridi ca ài mangiare sagneTroi foja de cicore catalogne
[When you think you’ll be eating lasagna,
in the plate you find chicory leaves]
(Salento) October 2015
Hands off the female sex!
by Alberto Sobrero Sciuquéme e ppazziémema la tabbacchére ne nla tuqquéme
[We play and joke
but the snuff-box we don’t touch]
(Northern Puglia) July 2015
That lack of faith in science…
by Alberto Sobrero Lu mideche studiee llu maléte more
[The doctor studies
and the patient dies]
(Gargano) May 2015
To get to heaven… you have to suffer
by Alberto Sobrero Ci cammina taue taueva alla casa tu tiaue
Ci cammina spine spine
va alla casa du Bommine
[He whose path is smooth smooth
gets to the home of the Devil
He whose path is thorny thorny
gets to the home of the Child]
(Salento) February 2015
From poetry to “prose” This is love
by Alberto Sobrero U primm’anne a ccore a ccoreU secunde a ccule a ccule
U terz’anne a ccalge n gule
[The first year heart to heart
The second ass to ass
The third year a kick in the ass]
(Bari area and northern Puglia) January 2015
…But Love is Hope
by Alberto Sobrero L’acqua vave a la pinnenzaL’amore, a lla speranza
[Water it flows down a slope
Love it chases after hope]
(Salento, but widespread in Southern Italy) December 2014
“Verba volant” What has changed between then and now
by Alberto Sobrero Parola ditten-gìile sta scritte
[The spoken word
is written in the sky]
(Bari area) July 2014
From the philosophy of Heraclitus to Vasco’s rock music “everything flows”
by Alberto Sobrero Tuttu vave, tuttu venegnenti se mmantene
[It all comes, it all goes
nothing keeps]
(Salento) June 2014
Beyond the garden there are “the others”. The hateful prejudice dies hard
by Alberto Sobrero Fije, mujeri e sciardiniGuàrdate de li vicini
[Daughters, wives and gardens
Beware of your neighbours]
(Salento) May 2014
Hypocrites? More dangerous than the kick of a mule
by Alberto Sobrero Tre cose t’ài guardareLu culu de li muli
Lu dente de li cani
E cci tene sempre rusariu a lli mani
[Three things you must be wary of
A mule’s rear
Dogs’ teeth
And people who keep handling their rosary ]
(Salento) April 2014
Nothing can beat wine-Christ’s blood. When folk wisdom is “differently sophisticated”
by Alberto Sobrero È u vére ca re carne de Criste so’ preziose frutteMa u sanghe de Criste è cchiù sàupe de tutte
[It’s true that the body of Christ is a precious fruit
but the blood of Christ is above all else]
(Ruvo di Puglia) March 2014
The revenge of cooking ‘poor man’s style’
by Alberto Sobrero Cuisse è u paste d-i poveridde:furmagge punde e rrafanidde
[This is the meal of the poor:
maggotty cheese and radishes]
(Cerignola) February 2014
Troubles? Let everyone take care of their own
by Alberto Sobrero Uè e delàureOgnedàune se chiènge le saue
[Troubles and sorrows
Everyone should weep over their own]
(Northern Puglia) January 2014
