Prova a pesare Annibale [English translation]

1

Try and weigh Hannibal, now that he’s just ashes,

and tell me how many grams the steelyard will indicate.

Try and weigh Hannibal,

and you’ll realize what is left of a great general now.

And yet Africa, from the ocean sea to Egypt, was’t enough for him,

he decided to overwhelm Samnites and Sicels, Lucani and Bruttii in a conflict.2

He decided to reach Spain too, and was able to climb over the Pyrenees;3

he shattered cliffs, he crushed mountains, he joined the ranks of demi-gods.

But try and weigh Hannibal today, now that he’s just ashes,

and tell me how many grams the steelyard will indicate.

Try and weigh Hannibal,

and you’ll realize what is left of a great general now.

If he was already keeping Italy under his foot, that condition wasn’t enough for him,

he wanted to reach Trastevere with an acrobatic raid.4

Though he had a useless eye, he frightened the rich and the commoner.5

And, riding an elephant, he was going around, hunting trophies.

But try and weigh Hannibal today, now that he’s just ashes,

and tell me how many grams the steelyard will indicate.

Try and weigh Hannibal,

and you’ll realize what is left of a great general now.

Try and weigh Hannibal, now that he’s just ashes,

and tell me how many grams the steelyard will indicate.

Try and weigh Hannibal,

and you’ll realize what is left of a great general now.

1. The song was inspired by the X Satire by Juvenal (Decimus Iunius Iuvenalis).

Hannibal2. Samnites

Sicels

Lucani

Bruttii3. Hannibal reached Italy with his army; instead of travelling by sea, he marched up through Spain, crossed the Pyrenees and the Alps riding his elephants, and then came down into Italy.4. Trastevere is a district in Rome, west of the Tiber river {Tevere}, which is the opposite side from the main districts. It’s regarded as one the most folkloristic and traditional districts, where the language, food and habits are really ‟Roman”.5. Hannibal lost his right eye (or at least the use of it) during his raid in northern Italy, due to an illness.

• Artist:Giorgio Gaber
• Album:Sexus et politica