A Friulian primer:
Grandfather is NONU in Friulian.
And NONU I am once more!
And so, as NONU, can I wish the little one
any better than a Dylan Thomas-kind of fun
as he grows under a sun that is young even more than once?—
(The original English version follows my Friulian translation)
Cuant che frutùt i’eri e ’nocènt sot li fràscjs daj milusàrs
atòr da la me ritmica cjaša e contènt coma’l vert da l’erba,
cu la nòt stelada ’nsima da la boscheta,
il timp a mi lasava zujà e zighi sù
dut ’ndoràt tal estàt daj so vuj,
e famòus fra i cjars e carètis i’eri prìncipe daj borcs daj milùs,
e’n ta chej dìs sot dal timp coma un re i lasavi che moràrs e fuèis
a zèsin cul òrzul e li margarìtis
davòu daj fluns di lus butàs jù dal vint.
E intànt ch'i eri vert e sensa nisùn pensej, famòus ta li stàlis
inziru dal curtìl alegri e cjantànt dal ort e da la cjaša,
in ta chel soreli cal è zòvin na volta e basta,
il Timp a mi lasava zujà e èsi
coronàt di oru in ta la so bontàt e grasia...
(Now as I was young and easy under the apple boughs
About the lilting house and happy as the grass was green,
The night above the dingle starry,
Time let me hail and climb
Golden in the heydays of his eyes,
And honoured among wagons I was prince of the apple towns
And once below a time I lordly had the trees and leaves
Trail with daisies and barley
Down the rivers of the windfall light.
And as I was green and carefree, famous among the barns
About the happy yard and singing as the farm was home,
In the sun that is young once only,
Time let me play and be
Golden in the mercy of his means....)
