35th Anniversary of Pasolini's Death

A.B. (November 02, 2010)
On November 2nd 1975, Pier Palo Pasolini was murdered. Poet, journalist, philosopher, novelist, filmmaker, Pasolini remains one of Italy's most courageous and controversial intellectuals. In his memory we publish here his poem "To My Nation" (in Italian and English) read by Vittorio Gassman.


Alla Mia Nazione


Non popolo arabo, non popolo balcanico, non popolo antico

ma nazione vivente, ma nazione europea:

e cosa sei? Terra di infanti, affamati, corrotti,

governanti impiegati di agrari, prefetti codini,

avvocatucci unti di brillantina e i piedi sporchi,

funzionari liberali carogne come gli zii bigotti,

una caserma, un seminario, una spiaggia libera, un casino!

Milioni di piccoli borghesi come milioni di porci,

pascolano sospingendosi sotto gli illesi palazzotti,

tra case coloniali scrostate ormai come chiese. 

Proprio perché tu sei esistita, ora non esisti,

proprio perché fosti cosciente, sei incosciente.

E solo perché sei cattolica, non puoi pensare

che il tuo male è tutto male: colpa di ogni male.

Sprofonda in questo tuo bel mare, libera il mondo.

Pier Paolo Pasolini, The Religion of My Time (1959)


To my Nation.


Not an Arab people, not a Balkan people, not an ancient people

but a living nation, but a European nation:

and what are you? land of babes, hungry, corrupt

governors employed by landowners, reactionary prefects,

small lawyers smeared with grease and with dirty feet,

liberal functionaries carcasses like bigoted uncles,

a barrack, a seminary, a free beach, a whorehouse!

Millions of petit bourgeois as millions of pigs feed gouging

under the unharmed villas,

among colonial houses peeling now like churches.

Exactly because you have existed, now you do not exist,

exactly because you were conscious, you are unconscious.

And only because you are Catholic, you cannot think

that your evil is all evil: the blame of every evil.

Sink to the bottom of this beautiful sea of yours, clear the world.



As translated in: Roberta L. Payne, A Selection of Modern Italian Poetry in Translation (NcGill-Queens University Press, 2004).


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