Il suonatore Jones [English translation]

In a whirlwind of dust,

the others saw drought;

to me, it reminded

Jenny’s skirt

in a dance from many years ago.

I could feel my land

vibrating with sounds: it was my heart;

so, why keeping on cultivating it?

How to think it better?1

Freedom – I saw it sleeping

in the fields growing

heaven and money,

heaven and love,

protected by barbed wire.

Freedom – I saw it awaking

every time I played

for a swish of girls at a dance,

for a drunk mate.

And then, if people know

– and people do know – that you can play,

you have to play

all your life,

and you like to have them listen to you.

I ended up with fields growing nettles,2

it ended up with a broken flute,

and a raucous laughing,

and many memories,

and not a single regret.

1. Meaning “How to think a better version of it? How to think of a way to make it better?”.

What is alive is not his possessions, it’s his heart; it’s that what he should care about and cultivate.2. gettare alle ortiche {to throw to nettles} = waste, throw out of the window, squander.

• Artist:Fabrizio De André
• Album:Non al denaro non all’amore né al cielo (1971)