{"id":13204,"date":"2017-01-06T14:51:35","date_gmt":"2017-01-06T13:51:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/?p=13204"},"modified":"2017-01-06T14:51:35","modified_gmt":"2017-01-06T13:51:35","slug":"viene-la-befana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/viene-la-befana\/","title":{"rendered":"Viene La Befana"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, <\/span><\/span>the sixth of January<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span> we celebrate <\/span><\/span>l’Epifania<\/span><\/span><\/strong> (the Epiphany), which commemorates the arrival of <\/span><\/span>i Tre Re Magi <\/span><\/span><\/strong>(the Three Wise Men) in Bethlehem. Today also marks the end of the Christmas festivities (collective sigh of relief!). <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Before the modern era of globalization, and the adoption of certain traditions from America, l’Epifania was the day when Italian children received their presents from <\/span><\/span>la Befana<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, an old woman dressed in rags. If you’re not familiar with the Italian tradition of la Befana<\/strong>, I recommend this<\/span><\/span> article: <\/span><\/span>Viva La Befana<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"100<\/a>

La Befana a Pontremoli. Photo by Geoff<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Here’s a touching poem on the theme written by Giovanni Pascoli (1855-1912), in which la Befana does’t bring presents, but is, instead, a silent witness to social injustices.<\/p>\n

La Befana di Giovanni Pascoli<\/b><\/p>\n

Viene viene la Befana,
\nvien dai monti a notte fonda.
\nCome \u00e8 stanca! La circonda
\nneve, gelo e tramontana.
\nViene viene la Befana.<\/b><\/p>\n

She comes, the Befana comes,
\nshe comes from the mountains deep in the night.
\nHow tired she is! She’s surrounded
\nby snow, ice and the north wind.
\nShe comes, the Befana comes.<\/p>\n

Ha le mani al petto in croce,
\ne la neve \u00e8 il suo mantello,
\ned il gelo il suo pannello,
\ned il vento la sua voce.
\nHa le mani al petto in croce.<\/b><\/p>\n

She has her hands crossed upon her chest,
\nand the snow is her mantel,
\nand the ice is her clothes,
\nand the wind is her voice.
\nShe has her hands crossed upon her chest.<\/p>\n

E si accosta piano piano
\nalla villa, al casolare,
\na guardare, ad ascoltare,
\nor pi\u00f9 presso or pi\u00f9 lontano.
\nPiano piano, piano piano.<\/b><\/p>\n

And she softly gets close
\nto the villa, the farmhouse,
\nto watch, to listen,
\nnow closer now further away.
\nSoftly, softly.<\/p>\n

Che c\u2019\u00e8 dentro questa villa?
\nUno stropicc\u00eco leggero.
\nTutto \u00e8 cheto, tutto \u00e8 nero.
\nUn lumino passa e brilla.
\nChe c\u2019\u00e8 dentro questa villa?<\/b><\/p>\n

What’s there inside this villa?
\nA gentle shuffling.
\nAll is quiet, all is black.
\nA candlelight passes and shines.
\nWhat’s there inside this villa?<\/p>\n

Guarda e guarda\u2026 tre lettini
\ncon tre bimbi a nanna, buoni.
\nGuarda e guarda\u2026 ai capitoni
\nc\u2019\u00e8 tre calze lunghe e fini.
\nOh! tre calze e tre lettini…<\/b><\/p>\n

She watches and watches… three little beds
\nwith three sleeping children, they are good.
\nShe watches and watches… at the fire dogs
\nthere are three long fine socks.
\nOh! three socks and three little beds…<\/p>\n

Il lumino brilla e scende,
\ne ne scricchiolan le scale;
\nil lumino brilla e sale,
\ne ne palpitan le tende.
\nChi mai sale? chi mai scende?<\/b><\/p>\n

The candlelight shines and descends,
\nand the stairs creak;
\nthe candlelight shines and goes up,
\nand the curtains flap.
\nWho goes up? who goes down?<\/p>\n

Coi suoi doni mamma \u00e8 scesa,
\nsale con il suo sorriso.
\nIl lumino le arde in viso
\ncome lampada di chiesa.
\nCoi suoi doni mamma \u00e8 scesa.<\/b><\/p>\n

Mother has descended with her presents,
\nshe goes up with her smile.
\nThe candlelight glows on her face
\nlike a church lamp.
\nMother has descended with her presents.<\/p>\n

La Befana alla finestra
\nsente e vede, e si allontana.
\nPassa con la tramontana,
\npassa per la via maestra,
\ntrema ogni uscio, ogni finestra.<\/b><\/p>\n

The Befana at the window
\nhears and sees, and moves away.
\nShe goes with the northern wind,
\nshe goes along the main road,
\nevery door, every window shakes.<\/p>\n

E che c\u2019\u00e8 nel casolare?
\nUn sospiro lungo e fioco.
\nQualche lucciola di fuoco
\nbrilla ancor nel focolare.
\nMa che c\u2019\u00e8 nel casolare?<\/b><\/p>\n

And what’s in the farmhouse?
\nA long faint sigh.
\nA few embers of fire
\nstill glow in hearth.
\nBut what’s in the farmhouse?<\/p>\n

Guarda e guarda\u2026 tre strapunti
\ncon tre bimbi a nanna, buoni.
\nTra la cenere e i carboni
\nc\u2019\u00e8 tre zoccoli consunti.
\nOh! tre scarpe e tre strapunti\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n

She watches and watches… three palliasses
\nwith three sleeping children, they are good.
\nAmongst the ashes and the coal
\nthere are three worn out clogs.
\nOh! three shoes and three palliasses…<\/p>\n

E la mamma veglia e fila
\nsospirando e singhiozzando,
\ne rimira a quando a quando
\noh! quei tre zoccoli in fila\u2026
\nveglia e piange, piange e fila.<\/b><\/p>\n

And the mother keeps watch and spins
\nsighing and sobbing,
\nand beholds every now and then
\noh! those three clogs in a row…
\nshe keeps watch and cries, cries and spins.<\/p>\n

La Befana vede e sente;
\nfugge al monte, ch\u2019\u00e8 l\u2019aurora.
\nQuella mamma piange ancora
\nsu quei bimbi senza niente.
\nLa Befana vede e sente.<\/b><\/p>\n

The Befana sees and hears;
\nruns to the mountain, because it’s dawn.
\nThat mother is still crying
\nover those children without anything.
\nThe Befana sees and hears.<\/p>\n

La Befana sta sul monte.
\nCi\u00f2 che vede \u00e8 ci\u00f2 che vide:
\nc\u2019\u00e8 chi piange e c\u2019\u00e8 chi ride;
\nessa ha nuvoli alla fronte,
\nmentre sta sul bianco monte.<\/b><\/p>\n

The Befana is on the mountain.
\nWhat she sees is what she saw:
\nthere are those who cry and those who laugh;
\nshe has clouds on her forehead,
\nwhile she is on the white mountain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Today, the sixth of January, we celebrate l’Epifania (the Epiphany), which commemorates the arrival of i Tre Re Magi (the Three Wise Men) in Bethlehem. Today also marks the end of the Christmas festivities (collective sigh of relief!). Before the modern era of globalization, and the adoption of certain traditions from America, l’Epifania was the…<\/p>\n

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