Nowadays we all have a watch or a cell phone that tells us what the time is, but once upon a time watches weren’t so common, and cell phones were still a thing of the distant future. So how did people in the past know what the time was if they were out working in the fields far from the village? Did they judge the time by the length and position of the shadows, or maybe they used some other wonderful folkloric method that we in the modern age have lost?

City folk tend to believe all kinds of myths and old wives tales about the Italian contadino’s (peasant farmer’s) extraordinary abilities and mysterious harmony with nature. In the following video, a chap from the city meets a rustic peasant, and discovers the secret of telling the time without a watch.

Signore sul motorino: mi scusi buon uomo … mi sa dire l’ora per favore?
Man on scooter: excuse good man … can you tell me the time please?

Contadino: è cinque e trentacinque
Peasant: it’s five thirty five

Signore sul motorino: ma è sicuro?
Man on scooter: but are you sure?

Contadino: è trentasei mo’
Peasant: it’s thirty six

Signore sul motorino: grazie
Man on scooter: thanks

Contadino: prego
Peasant: you’re welcome

Signore sul motorino: arrivederci
Man on scooter: see you later

————- LATER ————-

Signore sul motorino: ha mangiato il ciuchino eh?
Man on scooter: the donkey’s eaten eh?

Contadino: e no?
Peasant: eh no?

Signore sul motorino: senta, mi sa dire che ore sono adesso?
Man on scooter: listen, can you tell me what time it is now?

Contadino: n’altra volta! … le sette e un quarto
Peasant: again! … a quarter past seven

Signore sul motorino: aoh! ma sono le sette e un quarto spacca’ … incredibile … ma lei come fa a leggere l’ora nelle palle del ciuchino scusi?
Man on scooter: wow! but it’s a quarter past seven on the dot … incredible … but excuse me, how do you manage to tell the time from the donkey’s balls

Contadino: no io le alzo … sotto c’è il campanile, vedi? … viè a vedè … sette e un quarto …
Peasant: no, I lift them up … underneath there’s the bell tower, you see? … come and see … a quarter past seven …

You see, there’s always something new to learn from Geoff and Serena’s Italian Blog. Stay tuned for more time related articles, a presto! 😉