«Odio gli indifferenti» (Antonio Gramsci)

Sunday, 23 October 2016

Bertolt Brecht, A chi esita (An den Schwankenden)

Dici:
per noi va male. Il buio
cresce. Le forze scemano.
Dopo che si è lavorato tanti anni
noi siamo ora in una condizione
più difficile di quando
si era appena cominciato.

E il nemico ci sta innanzi
più potente che mai.
Sembra gli siano cresciute le forze, ha preso
una apparenza invincibile.
E noi abbiano commesso degli errori,
non si può più mentire.
Siamo sempre di meno. Le nostre
parole d'ordine sono confuse. Una parte
delle nostre parole
le ha stravolte il nemico fino a renderle
irriconoscibili.

Che cosa è falso di quel che abbiamo detto?
Qualcosa o tutto?
Su chi contiamo ancora?
Siamo dei sopravvissuti, respinti
via dalla corrente? Resteremo indietro, senza
comprendere più
nessuno e da nessuno compresi?
O dobbiamo sperare soltanto
in un colpo di fortuna?

Questo tu chiedi. Non aspettarti
nessuna risposta
oltre la tua.




La poesia di Brecht è letta da Toni Servillo nel film Viva la libertà di Roberto Andò (2013).



La poesia è tratta dal sito: http://www.nuovaresistenza.org/2013/03/03/a-chi-esita-una-poesia-di-bertolt-brecht/


Saturday, 25 June 2016

BREXIT DAY



So it's over.
The UK has decided: its future will be out of the EU.

It will take some time to understand what this really means.
For the time being, it is a hard day for the Italian stock exchange: never so bad at -12%.

Many commentators say that if there is a positive side to the situation is that finally this is the end of the British anomaly: I want to play with you, but I play according to my rules, not yours.

It is like applying basketball rules while playing football.

Things will not be easy.

Two years ago the Scots voted to stay in the UK, now they have voted to stay within the EU.
What is going to happen?

Northern Ireland is seeing the opportunity to put an and to its century-long separation from the Republic, and has voted en masse for staying within the EU.

London has voted pro EU.

Young people have voted for the EU, but they have voted too little, so their future is going to be decided by old cronies living in lovely cottages in the sounthern counties, or in the dales of Yorkshire.

The Brits love challenges, it seems. And in a way we must admit that they are brave.

For the time being, we can only wait and see.

Tuesday, 14 June 2016

Call me Ishmael

Thank you Manuel, for your comment on De Gregori's Il canto delle sirene.

You got the point: "Ismaele" does refer to something.

Well, it is probably a hint to one of the most famous texts in American literature.

It starts with one of the most quoted lines in literature. Just three words:

            "Call me Ishamel",

which are able to trigger all the memories and reminiscences you can think of.

The novel is Melville's Moby Dick. As everybody knows - and you do not, don't you? - the enormous White Whale is one of the greatest symbols in modern times for the ineffable, for an obsession, for something that just eludes our capability to understand.

De Gregori may refer to it as well when he mentions "nella schiuma della nostra scia qualcosa appare e scompare". When we are alone, in the middle of nowhere, and we think we might be seeing something that we cannot pin down, that we would never dare give a name to. In other words,

            "Who is the third who walks always beside you?"

However, Ishmael is also the name of the son of Abraham in the Bible, and his name means "God has listened" (in the song, De Gregori repeats "Ascoltaci o Signore", which in itself is another quote, familiar to whomever has been to a Christian Catholic sevice).

For more, you can read the following article, from La Repubblica:

CON DE GREGORI VERSO L' IGNOTO

Enjoy!

Saturday, 11 June 2016

Adrenaline

Do you need some adrenaline to survive all the revision work you are doing?

Sit back, relax, and watch this. Your life will be much easier!


Tuesday, 7 June 2016

Hancock Tower - Boston

I like this!


An architectural marvel designed by Henry N. Cobb of the firm I.M. Pei & Partners in 1976.
It is now officially named 200 Clarendon.

Gong

I am in an Icelandic mood, today.
How about this?


More sublime

But this - believe me - is only for real diehards!