Ligurian:
# Aldo Aquaron (1898–1964)

Fedele a-a forma metrica do sunetto, o l’à cortivou pe tutta a vitta un tipo de bossetiximo «dialettale», ch’o voeiva imitâ e contemporanie espeiençe romanesche do Trilussa e do Pascarella. O Aquaron, à tutti i mòddi, o no l’arriësce inte l’intento de creâ unna poexia in davei popolare e in realitæ o no ô veu manco: o l’é un òmmo tròppo dixilluso inti confronti da vitta, ch’a l’à fortemente provou e reiso scettico in ponto ideologie e ideali; fòscia inte questo o va apreuvo a-o destin di atri poeti in ligure, nisciun di quæ, manco o Firpo, à despeto de numerose intentative, o l’é mai stæto bon de ottegnî co-a poexia còmica, satirica, ò à sfondo soçiale, di resultati basta convinçenti, ò do mæximo livello de quelli ottegnui da di autoî de atre regioin. Pe quarche raxon, a tendensa ciù sccetta da poexia zeneise a l’é sempre stæta elitäia e aristocratizzante. O Aquaron o no fa ecceçion: un critico unna vòtta o l’é arrivou pe lê à parlâ de poexia «in sce l’erre» e o poeta de fæto o dà à divedde destacco e ironia de fronte a-i seu personaggi «popolari», sciben ch’o no manca de umaña pietæ verso de lô; o resta à tutti i mòddi emblematico de unna çerta meña de vitta zeneise, dexincantâ e tòsto cinica, tra e doe guære e do segondo dòppo guæra. A lengua deuviâ, ch’a l’é italianizzâ ben ben, a va d’accòrdio con sta smersa de poexia, ch’a l’é esprescion de unna borghexia sensa grende tenscioin morale, a-o manco in apparensa. O Aquaron o l’à pubricou in vitta varie accheuggeite de versci, stæte recampæ dapeu inte l’ediçion de _I sunetti_ (1959). O l’é stæto ascì l’autô de doe affortunæ comedie pe-o Gilberto Govi: _Quande o gatto o no gh’é_ (1927) e _Bòcce_ (1930), inte quæ o no s’arrösa guæi da-i sòliti cliché do tiatro govian.

O Aquaron o l’arriësce ben inta pittua de unn’umanitæ derelitta, ma in fondo feliçe, ch’a no domanda guæi a-a vitta e a scimbolezza un mondo donde o tempo o ne passa de d’ato sensa che se n’accorzemmo manco.

Into segondo sunetto a satira a picca contra i riti veui da burocraçia e da politica, ch’a l’à beseugno de eleze democraticamente tutti, anche «o scemmo do paise».

De vòtte l’umoriximo, de soventi cinico, do Aquaron o se deslengua inte unna queta melanconia.

Sciben ch’o l’é un spiito laico, l’autô o sente a distansa tra o mondo da fede bonelaña di antighi e o nòstro mondo spregiudicou e, in apparensa, ciù libeo.

O sunetto, con probabilitæ stæto inspiou a-a tragica sciòrte do Friedrich Nietzsche, o riflette con amaressa in sciô destin di òmmi, sotta unn’apparensa de fattoriso.

Fiña inte scituaçioin ciù triste se peu attrovâ l’aspeto còmico; e un spiito comme Aquaron, in sostansa laico, inta riduçion do crocifisso à un oggetto de utilitæ pratica, o vedde transonta a generale indifferenza pe-o maròtto ch’o meue in solitæ.

English translation:
# Aldo Acquarone (1898–1964)

Loyal to the metrical form of the sonnet, he depicted stereotypical “dialectal” scenes his whole life that sought to emulate the contemporary Romanesque experiences of Trilussa or Pascarella. Acquarone, however, did not succeed in creating an authentically popular poem, and in fact did not even want to. He was too disillusioned with life, which had been harsh to him and made him cynical about ideologies and ideals. In this regard, he perhaps tracts with other poets in Liguria, none of whom (least of all Firpo, despite numerous attempts) was ever able to write comedic, satirical, or socially invigorating poetry that was as convincing as, or at all rivalrous of, that of authors from other regions. For some reason, the most genuine tendency of poetry in Genoese has always been elitist and aristocratic. Acquarone is no exception: a critic once went so far as to speak of Acquarone as a poet “with a soft rhotic”. Acquarone does, in fact, flaunt a detached irony in the face of his “working class” characters, even if he does not exhibit a total lack human pity towards them. This stance is nevertheless emblematic of a certain type of Genoese attitude, disenchanted and almost cynical, especially before and after World War II. The language used, strongly Italianized, accords with the poetic style - a bourgeoisie expression devoid of great moral tension, at least on the surface. Acquarone published several collections of poems during his lifetime, later compiled in the volume _I sonetti_ (1959). He was also the author of two well-received comedies for Gilberto Govi: _Quande o gatto o no gh’é_ (1927) and _Bòcce_ (1930), in which he does not deviate much from the usual clichés of Govian theatre.

Acquarone excels at depicting a derelict (but ultimately happy) humanity that does not demand much from life and symbolizes a world where time passes us by without us even realising it.

In the second sonnet, the satire strikes at the empty rituals of bureaucracy and politics, which see to it that everyone is democratically elected, even “the village idiot”.

At times Acquarone’s often cynical humour melts into a quiet melancholy.

Although a secular spirit, the author feels the distance between the world of naive faith of the ancients and an unprejudiced, and seemingly freer, world.

The sonnet, probably inspired by the tragic fate of Friedrich Nietzsche, reflects bitterly on human destiny beneath a lauditory façade.

Even in the darkest moments, one can find humor. A spirit like Acquarone, who is fundamentally secular, sees the general indifference towards the sick person that dies alone by reducing the crucifix to an object of practical utility.