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A farmer owned only a small strip of land and a little house in which he lived. |
Nu cuntadine tineve solamente na firzelle di terre e la casuppole addò abbitave.
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One day, while going through the fields, he met a beggar who asked him for a piece of bread and something to drink. The man shared the little he had with the beggar who thanked him and left. |
Nu iuorre, mentre ive 'ncampagne, ncuntrette nu limusinante chi i circhette na nzè di pane e co ccose pi veve. L'ome spartette chella 'nzè di cose chi tineve nchi lu limusinante e isse doppe chi l'aveve aringrazìiete, zi ni iette. |
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| The beggar was in reality a rich man who was running away from his enemies and was in trouble. Once back in his castle, however, he remembered the farmer who had helped him, and personally went to call him and invited him to his manor. |
Lu limusinante ere nu signore tante ricche chi zi ni stave scappenne da li nimmice e 'nculle mumente zi trovave a mmal'acche. Na volte arijute a lu castielle però, z'aricurdette di lu cuntadine chi l'aveve aiutuate e iette isse stesse a chiamarle p'ammitielle a lu castielle. |
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| The farmer was in the field, and the rich man told him that, if he wanted to live happily, he only had to leave behind the little he owned and follow him. |
Lu cuntadine zi truvave 'ncampagne e lu signore i dicette ca, si vuleve campà cuntiente, abbastave chi lassave li poche cose chi tineve e ive nchi isse. |
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| The poor man took off his ragged clothes, wrapped them around the hoe, hid them under a bush, dressed himself in the clothes the rich man had given him, and followed his benefactor. |
Lu pover'ome, zi spugliette di li cince, l'abbirritette attuorre a la zappe, annascunnette tutte cose sotte a na fratte, zi vistette nchi li vistite chi ia rigalette lu signore e iette nchi isse. |
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| Once arrived at the castle, the lord of the manor invited the farmer to his table together with all the other nobles, and told him to behave properly and be careful of what he said. |
Quanne onne arrivette a lu castielle, lu signore ammitette lu cuntadine a la tavele addò magneve isse nziembre all'ieltre signure e ia riccummannette di cumpurtareze bbuone e di stareze attiente a parlà. |
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| While they were eating, the farmer worried and once in a while whispered to the lord's ear: |
Mentre onne maggneve lu cuntadine ogni tante z'avvicinieve a la recchie di lu signore e ngustidijete iaddummannave: |
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| - Who knows who will take those rags and the hoe under the bush? - |
- Chilli cince e chella zappe, sotte a chella fratte, chi sa chi zi li piglie? - |
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| The other guests, curious, asked: - What does our guest say? - |
L'ieltre mmitiete a lu cummite, criuse, addummannavene: - Chi ddice, chi ddice, l'ospte? - |
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| The lord, not to embarrass the farmer and himself, answered: |
Lu signore, pi gni fa fa brutta figure e pi nin farle manche isse, arispunneve: |
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| - Nothing, he just says that in his house he ate in dishes more precious than these. -
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- Niente, dice ca a la casa se maggneve dentre a li pijette chiù meglie di chiste. - |
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| Or: |
Oppure: |
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| - Eh! He says that in his castle he used to eat with gold forks, while these are of silver. - |
- Eh! Dice ca a lu castielle siè maggneve nchi li fircine d'ore, mentre chiste è d'argiente. - |
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| Or still: |
Oppuramente: |
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| - He says that at home he used to drink from gold pitchers, while here he must be satisfied with crystal glasses. - |
- Dice ca isse viveve dentre a li vicale d'ore, mentre aecche za da ccuntintà di li bicchiere di cristalle. - |
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| All the guests marveled at so much wealth, but before the end of the banquet, the farmer got up and walked toward the door. |
Tutte li mmitiete zonne faceve maraviglie di tutte chella ricchezze, ma prime chi lu cummite zi finesse, lu cuntadine z'alzette allampiete e z'abbiiette mierze la porte. |
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| All were surprised at his behavior, but the farmer turned to the lord who had invited him and said: |
Tutte chiente zonne maravigliette, ma lu cuntadine z'arivultette a lu signore chi l'aveve ammitiete e i dicette: |
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| - I must go home because I cannot rest. I think of those rags and of that hoe under the bush. I wonder who will steal them? - |
- Eije ariì a la case picchè nin m'aripose la cocce. Penze a chilli cince e a chella zappe sotte a chella fratte. Chi sa chi zi li piglie? - |
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| This sentence is often used to refer to those who, finding themselves in a comfortable or privileged situation, are not happy and miss what little they had before. |
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