Ligurian:
# Fabriçio De André (1940–1999)

O De André o l’é stæto un di ciù conosciui representanti da canson d’autô italiaña da segonda meitæ do Neuveçento; inte l’istöia da lettiatua ligure o gh’intra, apreuvo che o l’é un personaggio omai «icònico» comme se dixe in ancheu e, de fæto, i seu doî albi Creusa de mâ (1984) e Le nuvole (1990), a-o seu tempo, an vosciuo dî tanto pe l’imagine do ligure e do zeneise ch’a va pe-o mondo. Segondo o F. Toso, o De André o l’ea arriescio à fâ de Zena un scimbolo e unna bandea do mondo mediterraneo. No l’é mancou e critiche in sciâ lengua ch’o l’à deuviou, in gran parte inventâ e artefiçiosa, e in scî contegnui ascì, stæti basæ de vòtte in sce di refeimenti istòrichi inconscistenti, ma à tutti i mòddi gh’ea into De André a capaçitæ de reciammâse à unna realitæ e unna mainea de pensâ internaçionali, de mette torna in gio de poule e de esprescioin ch’an piggiou un senso e un vigô neuvo, che no aveivan avanti e fâle conosce a-o mondo. Da lê, s’é açeiso torna tra i zoeni de unna çerta generaçion un quarche interesse pe unna lengua ch’a stava pe moî, con o conseguente scioî de gruppi, cantanti e muxiçisti che, da-a fin di anni Ottanta, an fæto muxica in zeneise.

O fòrte contegnuo eròtico do testo, pe atro no infrequente anche into De André italian, ciù che pornografico o pâ unn’esprescion de energia e de coæ de vive, ch’a se veu manifestâ a-o de feua de regole. Comme s’é dito, se peu osservâ de poule inventæ, comme «umedo» a-o pòsto de «umio» e «arveâ» in cangio de «boggio» ò «bresca» into senso de boggio, sensa che ghe ne segge de beseugno, stante che e poule ciù sccette existan ancon in zeneise. Sola giustificaçion a peu ëse a reisa metrica, a neçescitæ de avei un verso de quattòrze scillabe, un settenäio doggio, ò donca de avei unna rimma a-a fin do verso («boggio» ò «bresca» no rimman con «demoâ»).

Inte sto avvoxou testo retrovemmo un senso d’avventua, ma anche un gusto di accostamenti originäi, ch’o çimmoggia o nonsense, un pittin comme a contemporania poexia do Guidoni e de quarche atro.

English translation:
# Fabrizio De André (1940–1999)

De André was one of the best known representatives of Italian songwriting in the second half of the 20th century. He belongs to the history of Ligurian literature because he is now an “iconic” character – as we say today – and in fact, his two albums Creusa de mâ (1984) and Le nuvole (1990), in their time, had a great impact on the image of Ligurian and Genoese in the world. According to F. Toso, De André succeeded in making Genoa a symbol of the Mediterranean world. There was no lack of criticism regarding the language he used, which was largely invented and artificial; and also regarding the content, based at times on inconsistent historical references. Nevertheless, De André had the ability to invoke an international perspective and way of thinking, to put words and expressions back into circulation giving them new meaning and vigour, and to make them known to the world. Thanks to him, some interest in a language that was on the verge of dying was rekindled among the youth of a certain generation, resulting in the flourishing of groups, singers and musicians who, since the late 1980s, have been making music in Genoese.

The strong erotic – rather than pornographic – content of the lyrics, not uncommon also in De André’s Italian production, seems to be an expression of energy and lust for life, manifested in a way which breaks with established rules. As mentioned above, some made up words can be found, such as “umedo” instead of “umio” and “arveâ” instead of “boggio” or “bresca” in the sense of beehive. These choices appear pointless, since more genuine terms still exist in Genoese. The only justification may be the metrical rendering, the need to form a verse of fourteen syllables, a double septenary, or to have a rhyme at the end of the verse ( “boggio” or “bresca” do not rhyme with “demoâ” ).

In this famous song, we find a sense of adventure, but also a taste for original juxtapositions, bordering on the nonsensical, somewhat like the contemporary poetry of Guidoni and others.