Polesine

Tera e aqua, aqua e tera Da putini che da grandi «Siora tera, ai so comandi Siora aqua, bonasera, bonasera» Tera e aqua! Se lavora Soto un sole che cusina... Tera e aqua! A la matina Se scomissia de bonora, de bonora Tera e aqua! Tera nuda Gnente piante, gnente ombrìa Sta fadiga mai finìa La comanda che se suda, che se suda Tera e aqua! E a mezogiorno Quel paneto che se magna No gh'è aqua che lo bagna E ghè aqua tuto intorno, tuto intorno Tera e aqua! Po a la note Se se buta sora el leto E se sogna, par dispeto Aqua e tera, piene e rote, piene e rote Sempre aqua e sempre tera Da putini che da grandi «Siora tera, ai so comandi...» Po se crepa e... bonasera, bonasera Polesine © 1961 Sergio Ludovici and Gigi Fossati "Polesine" was written in 1961 for a theatrical production. The lyrics, written by journalist Gigi Fossati, are in the Polesine dialect. Polesine is a region in northeast Italy between the lower course of the Adige River and the Po River. It has historically been subjected to extreme flooding events. One in 1951 left 100 dead and 180,000 homeless.

Earth and water, water and earth, both from children and from grownups. “Lady Earth, at her command. Lady Water, goodnight, goodnight.” Earth and water! You work under a baking sun . . . Earth and water! In the morning you begin early, early. Earth and water! Naked earth, neither plants nor shade. This never-ending toil commands that you sweat, that you sweat. Earth and water! And at noontime that bread that you eat, there’s no water to wash it down with, though there’s water all around, all around. Earth and water! Then at night we throw ourselves into bed and dream, for spite, of water and land, swellings and breaks, swellings and breaks. Always water and always earth, both from children and from adults. “Lady earth, at her command. Then you die and . . . goodnight, goodnight.” English translation © 2021 Dennis Criteser DNG was the successor label to Italia Canta, and released Canti per noi, a 6-song EP with singers Margot and Silverio Piso, in 1964. The songs were subsequently included in a Cantacronache retrospective released in 1971.