Un giorno che arrestai propio a la fetta, <br />Senz'avé manco l'arma d'un quadrino, <br />Senti che cosa fo: curro ar camino <br />E roppo in quattro pezzi la paletta. <br /> <br />Poi me l'invorto sott'a la giacchetta, <br />E vado a spasso pe Campovaccino <br />A aspettà quarche ingrese milordino <br />Da daje una corcata co l'accetta. <br /> <br />De fatti, ecco che viè quer c'aspettavo. <br />"Siggnore, guardi un po' quest'anticaja <br />C'avemo trovo jeri in de lo scavo?" <br /> <br />Lui se ficca l'occhiali, la scannaja, <br />Me mette in mano un scudo e dice: "Bravo!" <br />E accusì a Roma se pela la quaja. <br /> <br /> <br />English <br /> <br />One day, I had really gone penniless, <br />I had no money at all, <br />And this is what I did: I ran to the fire-place <br />And broke the shovel into four pieces. <br /> <br />Then I wrapped it up in my jacket, <br />And went walking along Campo Vaccino [1] , <br />Waiting for some sofisticated English gentleman [2] , <br />So to swindle him well. <br /> <br />And what I was waiting for, actually happened. <br />"Sir, would you take a look at this antique <br />We found yesterday while excavating?" <br /> <br />He wears his glasses, examines it, <br />Gives me a shilling and says: "Good job!" <br />In Rome, this is how we scrape a living.<br /><br />Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/l-innustria-striving/
